These mini-industries can jointly process 436,000 tons a year, the head of the MINAG Independent Department of Industries, Alexander Gonzalez, told Prensa Latina.

He added that the mini-industries are located in all provinces and in different regions of the country, and they employ more than 5,000 workers, an average of 15 in each of these units.

The creation of these facilities began in Cuba about seven years ago, with the contribution of the local initiative of farmers, who resorted to mills and other means to make the most of their crops.

Some of the mini-industries in this sector are part of cooperation projects with Italy, which have provided modern equipment and technology, Gonzalez pointed out.

The expert said that one of the main difficulties of the underuse of the processing capacities of these mini-industries in agriculture is the insufficient availability of all types of tinplate and other materials to have the necessary amount of containers.

The mini-industries are an important link in the necessary productive linkages between agriculture and other economic and social sectors in Cuba, where food production and supply are a top priority.

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