The lack of supplies, the mismatch between quality and prices, and the tendency to commercialize at excessive costs, continue to limit the access of the inhabitants of the municipality of Morón to agricultural products necessary for food.
During a tour for state agricultural markets (MAE by its Spanish initials), the Portal Ciego de Ávila's Citizen, confirmed the total lack of offers in several establishments and the shortage in others; the poor quality of products such as bananas, cucumbers and tomatoes (the only ones available and marketed at prices uncoupled from their conditions); difficulties with hygiene and problems in the infrastructure of the establishments that affect the conservation of products and safety and protection.
"HITS"!
Clients of MAE number 4, La Zanahoria, agreed when denouncing the poor quality of foods such as bananas that "at the moment they sell as a second category but, judging by their conditions, they are fourth or fifth, and they are very expensive, with a price of 2.55 pesos per pound”.
Yunier Rodríguez, who usually goes to that market, was dissatisfied with the lack of correlation between the quality and the price of cucumbers (5.00 pesos per pound), as well as the insufficient supply, "once a week and they do not satisfy the demands of the population”.
“The quality is often acceptable; others do not, because the products do not have the required conditions", Avelino Pérez said.
Meanwhile, Antonio Ávila was satisfied with the quality and the amount earned for the bananas and cucumbers that he was able to purchase at MAE No. 4 in the City of the Rooster.
Verónica Almaguer Gerán, administrator of that entity, considered that there is a balance between the quality and the prices set for its sale. Referring to the bananas that were sold at the time of the interview, she declared: “If it is second-rate, it cannot have first-rate conditions. We receive it as second quality and second quality is! We sell at the price that the invoice brings ”.
However, the powers and responsibilities of MAE administrators are not so limited. Lupe Franco Ramírez, technician in Quality Management of the Base Business Unit (UEB by its Spanish initials) in Morón, specified that “when the products are in the markets, the “workers” assume the responsibility and the role of quality managers. If the food loses properties, as a result of the passage of time, dehydration due to heat and poor storage conditions, administrators are authorized to vary the category, after consulting with the Company.
OTHER LACKS IN THE MARKET
The situation of the markets in the territory of Morón goes beyond the problems with supply, quality and prices. Many facilities display an inappropriate image to offer services according to the demands of the population, as a result of the deterioration of the infrastructure of the establishments, damages caused by weather phenomena, lack of hygiene, as well as the carelessness and lack of initiative of managers and workers to achieve transformations with resources that do not require large investments.
Breaks in fiber cement roofing and mesh put safety at risk, favor the deterioration of products when exposed to environmental conditions, and threaten the health of consumers due to the probable contact of vectors with food.
In agricultural markets such as number 8, La Remolacha, dirt, accumulation of garbage and decaying residues were observed, favorable conditions for the proliferation of vectors. Meanwhile, the three workers present at the time of the tour, were idle in their jobs, due to the total lack of offers.
“The problems with the market infrastructure have a negative impact on the quality of service and security. They are known for the Company, however, they do not solved them once and for all”, Yoankiel Lorenzo Rodríguez, the administrator, stressed.
In his speech, the director of this MAE expresses a contradiction: “supply is frequent. Last week we had cucumber and some cassava. It is not enough to satisfy the demands of the population in a distribution as large as Carrazana.
José Carlos Duque García, who lives in the vicinity of that commercial establishment, affirms that “the supply is very, very bad, sometimes up to four days pass without bringing anything. They come with products when they want”.
However, the client pointed out that a few days ago they offered very good quality tomatoes and he was pleased with the purchase. He values ??as positive the decrease in prices of some products such as cabbage, which is in high demand among consumers.
Norbelis Valenzuela Luis, administrator of MAE number 5, La Piña, surprised by the visit, acknowledges that shortages are more frequent at the beginning of the week and explains the situation of her little market, where they only offered some green tomatoes and there were no customers, however, dirt dominated the environment:
“We always clean the market before starting the service, our clients can corroborate it; but today, we don't have water ”.
Regarding the conditions of the establishment, where there are also damages on the facade, roof and mesh, Valenzuela Luis clarified that the solution does not depend on them. "In these circumstances, we try to protect the products to avoid unfortunate events. There are also agreements with the community, the CDRs and the National Revolutionary Police (PNR by its Spanish initials) for the protection of this economic objective. I have no knowledge of the company's projections to improve the premises”.
In the context of the implementation of the Ordering Task, the highest authorities of the province have repeatedly indicated that “the increase in prices must correspond to the improvement of the image, the expansion of the offers and the quality of the services, both in the state and non-state sectors, so as to achieve greater customer satisfaction and promote competitiveness between the different forms of management conceived in the Cuban economic model”.
However, when the UEB Quality Management technician was asked about her entity's projections for improving the infrastructure of the MAE, considered that it was not the right time to address the matter:
"The situation is very difficult, it seems to me that we should not even talk now. A cyclone passed through here and there are many markets still affected. The same workers have fixed the roofs, repaired the meshes and painted the establishments. Despite the unfavorable conditions, we continue there, providing a service to the people and doing our best. We do not have conditions to improve the image of the establishments”, she highlighted.
SHORT STEP, LONG VIEW
The supply of products in Morón, a territory with a population of over 70,500 inhabitants, becomes extremely complex, “to achieve 30 pounds per capita you need a lot of food and we only have six agricultural production cooperatives that contribute to the supply of the 22 MAE existing in the municipalities, which forces us to look for considerable volumes of products outside our demarcation, with the aim of helping to satisfy the demands of the people. In this endeavor, we continue to carry out actions and establish contracts with state and private producers”, Juan José Heras Rivero, director of the UEB Acopio Morón, explains.
The manager assured that "during the month of January, for example, more than 1 000 quintals of cabbage, pineapple and yucca, and a figure of more than 700 of tomatoes were sold."
Referring to the quality of the products, he pointed out that "it does not depend only on us, but on the farmer's attention to the crops, in circumstances marked by limitations of inputs and fertilizers."
At another point in his speech, he clarified that "whoever violates the price lists is severely sanctioned because nothing wrong can be forgiven, taking into account that what is related to this matter is duly legislated and oriented."
In the same way, whoever sells at the capped prices is violating the provisions and, it is known that "our company has to buy in accordance with the conditions of the products and sell them according to the parameters that govern quality."
However, under murals that enact consumer rights, customers, not infrequently, witness the breaking of laws and feel that their rights are violated. Not even the rigor of regulations such as Decree Law 30/21 manages to contain violations of the quality-price correlation, which due to their repeated condition could be classified as crimes of Breach of Consumer Protection Regulations.
Nor can we reject the fact that behind these behaviors, facts of Illicit Enrichment are hidden, resulting from possible price adulterations.
No less damaging are the lack of management, disrespect for quality standards and contradictions with the policies established for the implementation of the Ordering Task, inconsistent attitudes that create a gap between products and consumers.