Yosbany Pérez Madera is 30 years old, married and the father of two children. Since he finished the ninth grade, he began to work alongside his father as a farmer. Today he has lands in usufruct and is a member of the Carlos Hidalgo credit and services cooperative (CCS), in the municipality of Pinar del Río.
“Cayo vara” is the name of his farm, it includes 21 hectares, five of them of covered tobacco for the current contest, another two of covered and the rest he will plant with various crops; In his meadow, these days, there is no rest.
THE PREPARATIONS
In August and September there was not much availability of fuel, but with animal traction he prepared the soil for the irrigation of tobacco seedlings, he laid 140 flowerbeds, “that is enough for me and to support any other producer who needs it.”
He also used a rustic cultivation house to obtain postures, this structure suffered damage in a locally severe storm, its recovery is a priority for obtaining vegetables throughout the year.
“For this tobacco campaign, we opted for the Criollo 98 variety, which has excellent yields and provides a high percentage of classes, which is what is needed in the twisted crop,” said Luis Enrique Blanco Martínez, agricultural director of the Tabacuba Business Group, but it requires planting. early, because it is susceptible to the Phytophthora fungus.
The construction of healing houses is one of the actions that cannot be stopped, especially when the tobacco is already in the field; The intention of this farmer is to have four for the agricultural growth that he foresees for future contests.
THE STRATEGIES
Due to the areas available, it achieves adequate crop rotation, an element of vital importance to achieve the estimated yields of 1.4 tons per hectare.
The attention to the plantations also contributes to this purpose, highlighting that it has had the support of the Pinar del Río Tobacco Collection and Processing Company (ABT), which supported it with the machinery for land preparation to the extent that there was greater fuel availability.
He owns the agricultural implements, he is rigorous with their maintenance and the irrigation motors “those are things that can ruin your campaign if you don’t pay attention to them, they always have to be ready”, especially if he simultaneously carries out the production of various crops, since the 14 hectares that are not committed to solanaceous will be used for cassava and corn.
On the farm they also obtain food for family self-sufficiency and to guarantee the food of the workers, the harvested rice is already in the drying phase; Although the theft of some crops is one of the problems that Yosbany deals with, “it is impossible to spend the night standing guard and the entire day working, the last time they came and took out four rows of sweet potatoes with a hoe.”
He also has problems with the stability of the workforce, although he pays 600 pesos a day, an evil that he mitigates with family support, since there are several close friends who work alongside him, the support and advice offered by the father is essential.
THE FUTURE
Increasing its cultivation areas, increasing yields and becoming a benchmark in tobacco production are aspirations for the immediate future of this producer.
He knows that the formula is not to sit and wait for a miracle, every day he makes the effort to materialize his aspirations, stuck to the furrow, without letting obstacles discourage him and convinced that the work pays off.
