Cuba has managed to position itself as one of the suppliers of charcoal to Europe, which, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saw its main supplier seriously affected. The official press from Granma announced to great fanfare over the weekend the shipment of the first shipment of the state company Granmax to the European market, while the Horquita company, from Cienfuegos, complies with its plan with the shipment of four containers.
Granmax, a subsidiary of the Agroindustrial de Granos Fernando Echenique business unit, located in the community of Coboa, in the municipality of Yara in Granma, has ready the transfer to the port of a shipment of 300 tons of charcoal, from marabú, from of which 200 are of first quality and 100 of second category.
Odisnel Traba Ferrales, agricultural director of Fernando Echenique, assured that the state company has the “conditions” to export 100 tons of coal for the rest of the year, in addition to other agricultural products such as lemons, pear limes, habanero peppers, chili peppers, and bananas.
Odisnel Traba Ferrales, agricultural director of Fernando Echenique, assured that the state company has the “conditions” to export 100 tons of coal for the rest of the year
The company thus makes its first shipment six months after receiving the concession as an exporter last November, during the 38th edition of the Havana International Fair (Fihav 2022), recalled its director of Exports and Imports, Adrián Rodríguez Galán. During this time, the official added, Granmax dedicated itself to obtaining the certification of the work teams to meet the technical requirements and demands of the international market.
The managers pointed out that Granmax can be an intermediary between individual producers to provide their export services. The income in foreign currency, added Rodríguez Galán, will be used for the purchase of technological equipment and agricultural inputs, “in order to grow and be competitive in the international market.”
In Cienfuegos, the Horquita Agricultural Company, in the municipality of Abreus, has also closed the export of four containers of its star product Carbomad, destined for the European Union. The issue made headlines in the local newspaper September 5, than last friday highlighted that with these results the production plan is 100% fulfilled.
In May, the newspaper says, production “flows satisfactorily” with the storage of three additional containers that will be exported to different countries through the Victoria de Girón Agroindustrial Company, in Matanzas.
In the whole year, according to the work plan, they expect to obtain 240 tons of coal
Reiner Vázquez, administrator of the state company, said that 40 employees dedicate “the greatest efforts” to the marabú charcoal industry in Juraguá. “There is an enthusiastic group that is in love with the task. It is a difficult job, but the producers come with tremendous energy and spirit of work,” he said.
To date, they have met the production and export quota of 80 tons, and have another 80 tons in storage ready to ship early next month. In the whole year, according to the work plan, they expect to obtain 240 tons of coal.
At the end of 2022, Cuba managed to improve its balance of exports to Europe of wood, charcoal and cork. The European Commission reports that it received valued goods in 39 million euros and they grew by 39.2% compared to the 28 million in 2021. The Island covered 10.7% of the total demand. Before the Russian attack in February 2022, Ukraine topped the list of suppliers of charcoal to Europe, of which Germany is the main importer.
Cuba produces marabou charcoal, which is widely accepted in international markets due to its high caloric value, the flavor it brings to food and the lower environmental impact it entails, as this tree is an invasive species.
For decades, the marabou has been a pest that has spread through Cuban fields, making them unusable for other crops. With a woody trunk, large thorns and a great capacity to reproduce quickly, the plant has become a symbol of the state’s negligence and the centralism that has hit the Island’s agriculture.
In 2018, the country exported between 40,000 and 80,000 tons of this product. In addition, in January 2016, it made its first export to the United States after a fifty-year hiatus, when it sold some 40 tons of artisanal charcoal for $420 a ton.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14 intervene He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time making you a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
