Man bits dog? (Cuba buying sugar)

[Missouri Mule]

Cuba in talks to buy U.S. sugar

HAVANA, Nov. 5 — Cuba, the world's eighth largest sugar producer, is in talks to buy sugar from the United States for its domestic market, the president of the Cuban food import agency Alimport, Pedro Alvarez, said on Wednesday...

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters11-05-161831.asp?reg=AMERICAS

[azov]

Cuba is getting out of the sugar business. Sugar farms and mills are scheduled for closing in Cuba within three years.

[Missouri Mule]

Really, Why would they do this?

[azov]

A number of reasons suggest themselves:

The infrastructure is old, parts are expensive to replace in the mills, and less and less people want to stay on the land to pursue a career in agriculture. Young people are more attracted to the developing tourist industry, where the future seems to lie. The government also sees this and diverting hard currency to tourism, as opposed to sinking it into the creaking sugar industry, makes more sense to them.

There also seems to be a political angle. A number of exiles have claims on land, machinery, etc., that they wished to see returned to them in a post-socialist Cuba. Liquidating these properties is a sure way to beat such claims.

[Missouri Mule]

Interesting. I didn't realize this. I appreciate the info.

[Simon666]

As the US just as the Eu subsidizes sugar to huge amounts, won't this ultimately come down to the very thing George Bush and many of his conservative buddies would despise : subsidizing Castro with US taxpayer money? :confused:

[Missouri Mule]

One might make that case. The direct subsidy of course goes to the sugar farmer. Castro merely benefits from the more favorable price, as anyone might.

[Catch 22]

Plus industries such as the one involving sugar are crippled by Us economic sanctions. These industries can't buy machinery or equipment all to cheaply, while tourism is not as infrastructure slanted.

[azov]

The sanctions have been there for 40 years, though the lack of a guaranteed East-bloc market no doubt plays a role in the sugar industry's demise.

Age seems to be a primary factor, as I said above. Few new mills have been built since the '50s, many are way older than that, and suitable replacement parts would be expensive in any case.

There's no doubt that tourism will do more - is doing so - to change Cuban society than a thousand machinations hatched in Miami and DC.

[Missouri Mule]

"There's no doubt that tourism will do more - is doing so - to change Cuban society than a thousand machinations hatched in Miami and DC."

Cuba today would be thriving if not for the heavy hand of Castro and his police state. Put the blame where it belongs. Even his daughter and wife agreed with the American position. That ought to count for something.

[Catch 22]

Mule it would be thriving but for whom? The rich? probably, not for the poor though.

[Missouri Mule]

They can't get much poorer than they already are. I believe an enlighted democratic government would be good for everyone. This "cult of personality" in Cuba is good for only one man, Fidel Castro.

[Catch 22]

Originally posted by Missouri Mule
They can't get much poorer than they already are. I believe an enlighted democratic government would be good for everyone. This "cult of personality" in Cuba is good for only one man, Fidel Castro.

human rights wise cuba is absolutely horrible. But on the merits of education,health care, and the income of the poor Cuba ranks pretty well amongst other third world nations.

[Missouri Mule]

I've heard that argument made before but I've never seen anyone move there to live there. Haitians are dirt poor. Why don't they move to Cuba? Instead they come to the U.S. I've always believed that people vote most effectively with their feet.