State-owned Agroind S.A. signed an agreement with the Russian Rice Consortium to boost rice production in Cuba and achieve food sovereignty. The project, presented at the Havana International Fair 2025, will start with 600 hectares in Sancti Spíritus. Meanwhile, a processing plant in Artemisa signed a deal with an Italian firm to produce coffee for export.
The agreement with the Russian Rice Consortium aims to achieve yields over six tons per hectare, starting in the municipality of La Sierpe in Sancti Spíritus, with plans to expand to 10,000 hectares. This effort mirrors efficient models from Vietnam, Thailand, or China, where the Russian group will provide necessary inputs.
The Russians are following the path of Vietnamese firms on the island. Earlier in 2025, a Vietnamese company received 308 hectares in Pinar del Río, achieving seven tons per hectare against the national average of 1.5 tons. Vietnam had previously cooperated in La Sierpe until 2022, when it canceled the project due to Cuban inefficiencies, and returned in 2025 facing bureaucratic hurdles and fuel shortages.
National rice production in 2024 reached just 80,000 tons, while Cuba needs about 700,000 tons annually for domestic consumption, with the rest imported.
Meanwhile, at the Havana Fair, the Luis Bocourt Coffee Processor in Bahía Honda, Artemisa, signed with Italian Caffè Sun to allocate 20 hectares for export coffee. Cuba will provide soil, climate, seeds, and cultivation experience, while Italy supplies inputs, technologies, machinery, and financing. Renato Severini, a partner in the Italian firm, hopes to gain "international recognition for Cuban coffee".
Coffee production has dropped 51% over the past five years, per the National Office of Statistics and Information, and these deals prioritize exports over local needs. Prior initiatives like MásCafé and BioCuba Café S.A. with the Lavazza Foundation fell short, with BioCuba meeting only 32% of its target the previous year.