Cuba's first integral moringa powder plant, inaugurated in La Sierpe, Sancti Spíritus, is ready to initially produce some 20 tons.
According to Prensa Latina, given the tree's protein properties, the powder will have three destinations of vital importance for the nation's development: the pharmaceutical industry, exports and as a nutritional supplement in the production of cookies.
Dr. Concepción Campa Huergo, national advisor of the project, said that it is an honor for the people of Sancti Spiritus to fulfill this ambitious project conceived by the historic leader of the Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz.
In the years of the nascent revolutionary process, she added, he founded in that territory the Livestock Program, and in the final stage of his life he projected and now another of his dreams conceived for the agricultural development and benefit for humanity is coming true.
To supply the industry, plantations of more than ten hectares of moringa are being promoted, which would annually provide about 20 tons of powder.
With state-of-the-art technology of Austrian origin, the processing plant favors the drying of the leaf, which is carried out in hermetically sealed dark conditions, thus avoiding the denaturation of the chlorophyll and the other nutritional properties of the tree.
The plant, located in the Empresa Agroindustrial de Granos Sur del Jíbaro, will bring several benefits for the local economy, first of all, it will provide nutritional supplement for humans, as well as, from the protein content of the green mass, animal feed for sheep, goats, pigs and poultry.
This tree species, originally from India, has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, and acts against some 300 diseases, it has all the vitamins and properties, and also has pharmacological effects, explained Dr. Campa Huergo.
Known in the world as a miracle tree, tree of life, light of hope or as an angel turned into a plant, it is a very complete food, he commented.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, vice prime minister, among other leaders.
