BY RAISA PAGES - Granma International staff writer -

SINCE 1987, Cuba has been developing a distinct socio-economic program to raise the standard of living in mountainous areas; according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) authorities the only one of its kind in the world, given its meticulousness and the extensiveness of its projects.

The economic basis of the program christened Plan Turquino when it began in 1987 is to embrace food sustainability, support organic products for export and reap the maximum amount of timber, coffee, cacao and fruit with the minimum impact on mountain ecosystems. Ideal for the defense of the country in case of military attack, mountainous terrain covers over 16% of the Caribbean archipelago and 6% of the Cuban population of 11.2 million live in these areas.
In the regions included in the Plan Turquino, the impact of the economic crisis that began in 1990 has been felt more fiercely, although it has different levels of expression throughout the island's various mountain ranges distributed throughout the island's western, central and eastern regions.

In order to revitalize the mountainous areas that are present in nine provinces and 48 municpalities of the island, including the Ciénaga de Zapata, Cuba's largest wetland, in 1995 the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers agreed that the Plan Turquino would act as a commission through which every state central administration agency would have to allocate resources for the region and systematically account for its activities before the state and the government.

FAO representatives in Cuba affirm that no other such meticulous plan exists in any other country, particularly in respect of the aims that it is pursuing in terms of sustainable food production, care of hydrographic basins and the social development of the mountain population.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FAILURES
Every year in Latin America some 5,800,000 hectares of forested land are lost and at world level that figure rises to 14,600,000 hectares, according to FAO reports.

However, in the case of Cuba forested areas have grown at a rate of 1.3% in the last 10 years to make the island the only nation in Latin America to actually increase that resource during the last year.

Throughout the American continent, the country is only accompanied by the United States, with a rate of 0.8%.

The island is one of 55 nations out of 213 monitored by FAO that is increasing its forestry resources. In South America, Chile reported a substantial decline in its forested area. In Brazil, some two and a half million hectares disappear each year although there is a significant reserve in the Amazon area. This immense jungle has 87% re-forestation, despite the volume of timber that transnationals operating there have mercilessly extracted from the region.

For Fidel Ramos, secretary of the Plan Turquino National Commission, the major economic achievement of the special program for the island's mountainous areas has been to raise the survival chances for trees that have been planted.

From a Phyrric 30% success rate in planting during the 1980s, survival chances have ascended to 89% according to the latest count certified by the state forestry service and the National Bank of Cuba, who provided the loans for tree promotion.

Ramos explained that when the program began in 1987 many trees were planted - up to 500 million saplings annually - but they rarely survived, mainly due to quantity over quality. Unfortunately, in some areas only 20% of the trees planted survived.

From 1995, objective plans were conceived to plant when the conditions were right for the trees to grow and above all, where there were individuals who could take responsibility and care for the new trees. Now the plan is to plant less but the success rate is higher thanks to greater efficiency in forestry survival.

Cuba has some 2,500,000 hectares of forest patrimony, of which 450,000 are cultivated to replenish the annual extractions for forestry products.

Forestry firms are responsible for 1,165,000 hectares of forested area; the national flora and fauna company manages 670,000 hectares and the rest is overseen by other organizations such as the Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior and the sugar industry, amongst others.

Of the 11,098,000 hectares covering the Cuban archipelago, 22.9% have been reforested or created. In 1900, some 59% of the island was covered with forested areas, but the felling of millions of trees for the cultivation of sugar and the irrational use of trees for agricultural production and cattle raising led to a disaster in respect of timber use and tree coverage. From the beginning of the 20th century until 1959 only 10 million saplings were planted. In 1959, the Revolution discovered that only 13.9% of the country was forest.

However, the current revival in forestry production is not without its problems. Provinces such as Guantánamo and Santiago de Cuba in the east and Villa Clara and Cienfuegos in the central region still have survival rates below the national average.

"We're not satisfied with these results," commented Fidel Ramos, "we have to work harder to ensure that Cuba is self-sufficient in forestry products so that we don't have to import timber." He indicated that between 3 and 3.5 million cubic meters of timber is felled from Cuban forests annually, but the potential exists to increase that amount to 7 million cubic meters. Annual timber production is in the region of 165,000 cubic meters, but that could rise to 200,00 according to Ramos.

The production of coffee - another of the principal products grown in the sierras - has undergone reorganization in the search for increased yields, as current harvests are producing only 40% of their potential. The Plan Turquino Commission decided to rearrange the areas where coffee is grown in order to concentrate on those regions that produced the greatest amount in the short-term.

Of almost 100,000 hectares of coffee, 67,000 were selected for soil and climate in order to introduce new agricultural technology and inject resources that will lead to a sustainable increase in harvests. Those that were not included will once again become part of the forest fund.

Cacao stock - another product associated with the mountains - is experiencing a revival enabling producers to sell at higher prices and introduce systems with hard-currency incentives. However, last year, drought meant that only 66% of the expected 2,200 tons was harvested at a national level. In the principal production zone - in the far east of the island - the prospects for a rise in the chocolate processing industry are very good.

Sources from the food industry have also assured that a new factory, in addition to the existing one, is to be opened for the manufacture of hand-made chocolates to be sold a higher price, in line with these exquisite products.

Last year, agriculture also suffered the effects of hurricanes, with winds that brought down flowering plants and negatively affected honey yields. The effects of Hurricane Mitchel and the rains from the Lili and Isidore cyclones meant that only 73% of the 7,600 expected tons of honey were produced last year.

Ramos told us that results for this year appear to be better. "We have 126,000 beehives at the moment and hope to be able to provide 200,000. The aim is to equal in the near future the 10,000 tons that were produced in the record year of 1982, for the attractive prices that this product fetches on the international market.