Sunday, April 20, 2008

Raúl Is Taking the Rice Out of the Mouths of Cubans

Raúl Castro has just made the first fundamental change since he officially assumed his new investiture as Communist Cuba's fourth unelected "president." He has slashed, indeed, almost eliminated, Cuba's imports of grice (gravel with rice) from North Vietnam. Has he decided that Cubans are more deserving of a higher grade of rice than that which the North Vietnamese feed to their pigs? No, there is nothing that Raúl won't feed to the Cuban people from maggots to offal to carrion. The reason for halting Cuba's rice purchases is that the price of rice has risen on the international market from $223 in 2002 to $855 per ton today, which means that it is time to tighten the belts of all expendable Cubans, that is, the 95% of the population who do not belong to the military, state security or the military-industrial complex (their rice is imported from the Carolinas by special license from the U.S. government).

Rice, for those who know nothing about Cuba, is the mainstay of the Cuban diet, the foundation of every meal however elaborate or simple. Before the Revolution, Cuban consumption of rice rivalled that of any Oriental country and a significant amount was locally produced. The rest was imported from China. Cuba was once its best customer in the Americas and its biggest importer of the highest quality Chinese rice in the world.

That all changed with the advent of Castro. He picked the wrong side in the Sino-Russo rivalry of the 1960s and rice soon banished from the Cuban table and was replaced by a a mix of crushed spaghetti and rice.

Eventually, rice was reintroduced to Cuba, but it was like no rice that Cubans had ever seen before much less eaten. Bits or remnants of rice, mixed liberally with dirt, gravel, maggots and other insects, as well as various growing fungii. The rice literally had to be picked grain by fractured grain from the detritus. Grandmothers were often assigned the task and would spend hours at it before the week's ration of one pound of grice yielded half that much in rice, an abused and barely palatable rice.

Even this has now been deemed too great a luxury for the Cuban people since a ton of rice costs the same now as an ounce of gold. Even the low-quality rice that Cuba buys from North Korea is prohibitively priced. It is a lot more profitable for the Castro brothers to stash those ounces of bullion in Switzerland while the Cuban people make do with promises of cellphones, computers, airplanes and other pipe dreams.

The fabled Chinese rice cookers, the first kitchen appliance made available to Cubans in more than 45 years, which Fidel personally hawked with much fanfare on Cuban television as the "world of tomorrow," have been decommissioned and retired like their erstwhile spokesman (if the propaganda is to be believed).

In what is surely no relief to the Cuban people, the regime has announced that it will produce its own "consumable rice." That pretty much answers the question of what it is that's being produced in Cuba now. Of course, the prospects are not good because of "decapitalization, plague and drought," as has already been announced. Still, the experiment will be made. The greatest irony, however, is that if the experiment actually succeeds in producing "consumable" rice, the Cuban people will see none of it.

63 comments:

The Wizard said...

Jan 24, 2008

If the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba were lifted, the USA Rice Federation and the Cuban government believe, Cuba overnight would become the second largest market for U.S. rice, with half of what they import coming from the United States.

“Cuba would increase imports from the United States from 60,000 tons annually to about 350,000 tons,” Marvin Lehrer, USA Rice senior advisor for Cuba, speaking at the USA Rice Outlook Conference. “We do believe that over time, because of the logistics and historical preferences, we will become the dominant supplier of long-grain rice to Cuba. We estimate that at current values, this means about $275 million in annual sales to Cuba.”

Lehrer estimated that regaining lost rice sales to Cuba would generate revenue for the United States at a 7-to-1 ratio, “when jobs, cost of transport, etc., are added to the balance sheet. So the economy is losing about $2 billion by not having full access to the Cuban market. That’s a lot of money and a lot of jobs.


Farm Press Editorial Staff

The Wizard said...

Farm Press Editorial Staff

In 1958, when Cuba was the largest buyer of U.S. rice, the United States supplied between 80 percent and 90 percent of its needs. Currently, Mexico is the largest market for U.S. rice. But Cuba is one of the largest importers of rice in the entire world, at about 650,000 tons of milled rice annually.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Alex:

Communist Cuba is not restrained by the embargo from buying as much American rice as it pleases. If Raúl Castro decreed it tomorrow, Cuba could acquire the entire U.S. harvest.

Only one thing prevents this -- the fact that feeding the Cuban people is not a priority of the Castro regime. On the contrary, it is a lot easier to control them if every day is a battle to stave off starvation.

The only thing the embargo presently forbids is the sale of U.S. products on credit to Cuba. That is, it is obliged to pay cash on the barrel for any purchases.

Personally, I would even be inclined to suspend that proviso and allow the U.S. rice merchants to extend as much credit to the Castro regime as they see fit so long as they agree to bear any losses from such sales to Cuba without appealing to the American taxpayer for subsidies to underwrite their greed and foolishness.

Communist Cuba is currently in default to all its trading partners worldwide except the U.S. If there are American corporations that wish to join the parade of unpaid creditors, let them by all means go to the back of the line.

The Wizard said...

I understand that and Agree... Given the assessment of Cuba's debt position, Cuba is not in a position to meet its obligations in the forseeable future.

Cuba's attempt since 1982 to renegotiate the debt and obtain fresh credit has been constantly hampered by United States pressure and interference in the negotiations.Negotiations on the Cuban debt have been blocked since 1986 because Cuba says it cannot afford to start repayments without first receiving guarantees of fresh money from creditors.

On April 18 the United States tighten the embargo when President Bush ordered United States ports closed to ships that traded with Cuba.

Washington is also trying to keep Cuba out of the world markets for nickel and biotechnology products, which are already dominated by large United States multinationals

Centurion said...

Alex H:
plagiarize: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source



http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DE173FF936A35756C0A964958260

la tia de fantomas

Fantomas said...

Gracias tia , dejalo el solito cae, yo no me dirigire mas a el no vale la pena

Mat

remnants of rice, mixed liberally with dirt, gravel, maggots and other insects,

Mat cuando hay hambre el cubano come lo que sea pero una cosa es cierto, el arroz venia supersucio - Los insectos a que tu te refieres el mas c o n o cido era el gorgojo,que se colaba y vivia en el arroz y en los chicharos

Vana said...

Cuba will produce consumable rice for it's citizens, if it weren't so sad I would laugh, give them gadgets but withold the food. Shameful!

Vana said...

BTW Manuel very informative post, specially for those who have no idea how rough it is for the average Cuban.

The Wizard said...

Yes... I know that enrique please you think I'm stupid. They're quotin fron the NY time...

I think Manuel knows that...

The Wizard said...

Thank you for pointin I already know. and you sure use alot of copy and paste on your blog and here in manuel's blog.

The Wizard said...

Try again enrique, That's because you were looking for information. hahahahaha Gotcha the oldest trick in the world and you eat it up...hahahahaha

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Alex:

The information you provided was very instructive and fit in well with the subject of the post.

The Wizard said...

Gotcha! you come across like you know your shit but in reality you copy and paste all the answers. Thank you for showin everyone that you're a fake intellect.

The Wizard said...

Thank you Manuel

The Wizard said...

K moving on with the topic at hand, Very good article manuel.As usual...

Fantomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Wizard said...

Mr. translator


You think you got me, but the game was on you, buddy...Looking for information..You eat my bait..How does it taste, enrique fishy hahahahha

The Wizard said...

i know Google is your best defense to fight with Manuel...because you're not smart MarielitoLoco

Fantomas said...

Alex when was the last time you did anything for cuba?


Look at your idols they are back now working, why dont you join them and quit blogging like they did . You have become the biggest trollin the CA blogshpere. Ask Manuel?

The Wizard said...

Waiting for your retard and lame comeback enrique...

C'mon grandpap oh,I guess noone knows you're a grandfather.he got someone pregnant when he was 20 years old, According to some bloggers friends of mine.

The Wizard said...

oh,oops I spill the beans...yes folk Enrique is a Granddaddy picture that...hahahaha My source are 100% honest.

Anonymous said...

Mat could you please move Alex to the Madhouse. It seems this guy wants to engage Fantomas everytime hence disrupting the flow of ideas from the thread

The Wizard said...

I got more shit on enrique even a email he send me with a photo attachment.But I will keep that safely on my weapons folders...hahahah remember that picture enrique, I show that picture to one blogger and I won't reveal his name...

The Wizard said...

Enrique: If you can’t stand the heat, don’t run your mouth.

Anonymous said...

alex what is your beef...Are you out to get CA bloggers or do you want regime change?

Fantomas said...

oye papa que clase de chivaton eres
te queda bien el nombre de tu blog

el chivato blog

Saca la foto bro, estoy temblando de miedo

you will be remembered as the first CA blogger who publishes and internal private mail with a photo

go ahead make my day si es que tienes cojones de verdad

The Wizard said...

Don't worry everybody is going to see it, enrique on my terms not yours..so relax...You and your Boyfriends in Puerto Rico are going to be expose..When i'm good and ready.

The Wizard said...

wow, I can't believe I still have that photo 2 years later. hahahahah

Fantomas said...

lol

The Wizard said...

A nervous laugh, enrique..

The Wizard said...

How's your granddaughter. I hear her cry once over the phone.

Fantomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fantomas said...

dime ahora

Fantomas said...

piensa bien lo que vas a decir no metas la pata mas

Fantomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fantomas said...

alex i dont have your number bro de que hablas

The Wizard said...

You know my Number very well, everything is comin out and you wanna play innocent. I don't think so, bro.

Fantomas said...

no I dont have it for real

Fantomas said...

see you mañana , off to bed hay que luchar la yuca mañana taino

Fantomas said...

alex stick to the treads and nothing will happen to you. Iam not to get anyone , my work is denouncing the regime period, Iam not opening blogs to out other bloggers that is you

The Wizard said...

wow, know we are actin passive I wonder why...

Centurion said...

Estuve internado en el Centro De Entrenamiento Deportivo Manuel Permui . Me daban chicharos casi todos los dias. Un dia ( no me acuerdo lo que hice) me castigaron y me mandaron a ayudar en la cocina. Lo que no estaba podrido estaba casi al podrirse. Todos los chicharos estaban picados. Tenian unos huecos negros que segun los cocineros eran gorgojos. El arroz tenia unos gusanitos blancos bien chiquitos –salian a flote cuando se lavaba. No se si estos eran gorgojos tambien.

Fantomas said...

stick to the threads alex and you will be fine. Iam going to be here for the long run iam not going anywehere not running like others do. Mat knows iam an asset to the succes of this blog . Ask kim?

you and I can co exist together if we focus on the thread period..

give it a try and dont take it personally

iam going to be here until regime change is completed and my return to cuba is secured


who knows I may even blog from Cuba

oistes?

oye y no te olvides I do no need translator machines, iam well rounded

The Wizard said...

Is wise to be netural with me.

Fantomas said...

fantomasiTA. Es verdad fijate el arroz con gorgojo era algo tan natural. Nosotros en la vocacional los veiamos nadando en nuestras bandejas de metal pero no le temiamos, los apartabamos y seguiamso comiendo. Me recuerdo que ellos venian en los sacos esos gigantes y en la bodega el bodeguero metia la cuchara gorda esa para pesar las libras que te correspondian. Te digo algo nunca desprecie el chicharo. Es mas ahora en el exilio lo busco y no lo encuentro pero cuando mi tia me lo prepara me como siempre 3 platos

Esto es una nota veridica de fantomas no es copy y paste como otros alegan por ahi

The Wizard said...

Fantomas said...

Mat knows iam an asset to the succes of this blog . Ask kim?


who is Kim?

Ask Him, my bad

what a honor enrique to a part of a great blog like manuel's

Fantomas said...

Is wise to be netural with me.

no alex, it is wise to be neutral con todo el mundo no solo conmigo

porque el bad vibe lo atraes con tus acciones y pensamiento

Es mejor tener amigos que enemigos

who needs them?

stick to the thread y veras que todo sera dandy. I will do my part
personal attacks are foolish y no traen libertad para cuba. thats why we blog, right?

Fantomas said...

ask him, sorry translator malfunction

The Wizard said...

did you comprehend what I said, correctly?

Fantomas said...

what did you say?

The Wizard said...

Forget it, bro just stay fuckin neutral

Fantomas said...

Is wise to be netural with me.


sorry dont know what the word neturel means ..it is not in my translator

The Wizard said...

One thing about me enrique you can never fuck with my head, you know why, I learn your tricks remember when you use to call and gossip about other bloggers. how you like to get in their nerves.I know your tactics and you don't affect me.

The Wizard said...

So, you are wasting your time with me...poor you (sigh)

Fantomas said...

no chico i do my job and thats it iam not competing with anyone , after all this blogging doesnot pay me a cent , this work is done for the love of cuba not for the hate of other bloggers or their nerves. who cares about that?

The Wizard said...

You have a very weak game..is time to upgrade enrique...Your words don't sting anybody around here.. They just laugh at you..

Fantomas said...

You used to have a very good blog called ya no mas . It was much visited . Too bad you had to close it down. that was a good blog . It is still on the blog links list of other bloggers

I remember we used to cross link from there to abajofidel

The Wizard said...

I'm being serious everybody laugh at you, Noone takes you serious

Fantomas said...

ok iam off for real

sleep well young man mañana is lunes

The Wizard said...

Everythin Comes to an End, enrique.
I have other responsibilities is call fatherhood.

Fantomas said...

final post


I'm being serious everybody laugh at you, Noone takes you serious

alex thats precisely what i want , i dont want anyone to take me seriously ...You sure do

The Wizard said...

No I don't I never did...

nonee moose said...

These May-December romances never work out...