CALIMETE, Matanzas.— José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and a Council of State vice president, stated on a visit to the province that the start of the Matanzas’ sugar harvest offers encouraging prospects in comparison with other years.
We have noted more effort, organization and control over the problems in each mill, although there are still many things to accomplish and perfect, he said. Machado Ventura noted that this positive start has confirmed the quality of investments and repairs as well as the determination of the Matanzas sugar workers to eliminate shortcomings identified in previous harvests.
He drew particular attention to the training of workers and managers in the sector, the results of which can already been seen, in these first days of the harvest. On a visit to the Jesús Rabí, René Fraga and Mario Muñoz sugar mills, (the México mill is also set to begin milling very soon), Machado Ventura indicated that steady and efficient processing is necessary right from the beginning, with strict supervision to avoid technological and labor missteps and to further motivate workers.
He added that in order to compensate for the investments made and increase wages, it was necessary to re-establish the work ethic evident today in the sugar mills, increase sugarcane yields, and improve efficiency in the manufacturing process.
The Jesús Rabí mill, which always enjoys top results, has sufficient surrounding land, and is taking on the challenge of increasing its efficiency in order to extract more sugar from the cane, Director Alfredo Morejón González explained. Making the most of the cane is as our biggest “fight”, Roberto Linares, a mechanic at the mill, admitted. In a dialogue with managers and workers, Machado Ventura, heard of the objective in the province to erase the negative image of the last four harvests and meet the challenge of keeping alive the pride of the sugar workers.
“We have worked hard and there is an excellent mood within the collective. The Mario Muñoz and Rabí mills carry the biggest burdens according to our plan, but it is necessary for all four mills to meet their targets,” Ricardo Sánchez Calero, director general of the Cuban Sugar Company in the province, noted. Among the more complex measures taken, he mentioned the installation of three feeder systems and the repair of one of the boilers in the Mario Muñoz mill, as well as adjustments to the fifth grinder at the Jesús Rabí mill, which together with a new container and another centrifuge have improved capacity.
Sánchez Calero added that more attention will be paid to the harvest at the René Fraga and México mills, which had the poorest results in the last harvest, noting that it is essential to get things right now in order to avoid further obstacles later down the line.
A prime example of the qualitative changes that have taken place at the René Fraga mill, is Jacinto Brito, a retired worker who has decided to return to the plant.
“Me and another eight retired colleagues were asked to make an extra effort to help restore confidence in the mill, where an experienced workforce is lacking.
And here I am again, despite being 76 years old. I hope that we can contribute our bit to putting an end to this mill’s losing streak and that it serves as an important means of regaining the reliable reputation of the province.”
During the visit, Machado Ventura was accompanied by Teresa Rojas Monzón, first secretary of the Party in Matanzas, and Tania León Silveira, president of the Provincial Assembly of People's Power, as well as other local leaders.
