Cuba and Vietnam have signed a memorandum revitalizing underutilized lands in Artemisa

In a significant step forward for agroindustrial cooperation, the Artemisa Agroforestry Business Group (GEAF) and the Vietnamese company Viet Royal signed a memorandum of understanding to develop export crops on 2,000 hectares of uncultivated land.

According to the newspaper El Artemiseño, the agreement signed by Miguel Sánchez García, president of GEAF, and Nguyen Khac Hoang, director of Viet Royal, will activate land in Alquízar, San Antonio de los Baños, and San Cristóbal with strategic crops: soybeans, green beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, taro, and potatoes, intercropped with cashews.

The alliance stipulates that Cuba will contribute land, infrastructure, fuel, and labor; while Vietnam will provide machinery, inputs (seeds, fertilizers), technical capital, and initial financing. The products will have different destinations; soybeans and peanuts will be used for vegetable oils for domestic consumption and animal feed; while green beans and cashews will be destined for international markets.

Sánchez García highlighted the commitment to execution deadlines, while Nguyen Khac Hoang underscored the potential of Artemisa's soils and its human capital.

On the other hand, Jorge Luis Oramas Vargas, head of Trade and Investment at Artemisa, contextualized the agreement as part of a broader provincial strategy; 17 international cooperation projects are currently underway—primarily agricultural—including initiatives such as Mi Costa for wetland reforestation.

The note also highlighted a promising new product, the hibiscus flower, with an estimated value of $2,000 per ton in international markets. Its cultivation will expand to all municipalities due to its high profitability and low phytosanitary requirements.

Oramas Vargas emphasized that exports prioritize non-essential products for local consumption, generating foreign currency to purchase critical inputs (fertilizers, machinery) that boost provincial food production.

The partnership with Vietnam includes future collaborations in livestock farming and already active projects such as a pork program and a rice program with China. Despite meeting export targets for the first half of the year, authorities acknowledge challenges: they urge municipalities to identify specific areas that require external financing to boost territorial development.

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