Since its entry into force in October 2018, the delivery of idle land in usufruct through Decree Law 358 has benefited 5,453 people interested in producing food in Ciego de Ávila.

This determination represents more than 60 000 hectares (ha) that were requested to exploit them in different productions, taking into account the characteristics of the soils.

Giraldo Pérez Pérez, head of the land control department in the provincial delegation of Agriculture, informed the Cuban News Agency that the total number of petitions amounts to 6,789.

He pointed out that this legislation expands the possibilities of the people involved, due to they are able to be linked to Cooperatives of Credits and Services, Agricultural Production and Basic Units of Cooperative Production (CCS, CPA and UBPC, respectively) and it also extends to other agricultural structures such as state enterprises and their base business units.

Another advantage of this Decree Law is that it allows the number of hectares to be increased to 67.10, and to diversify the productive lines, he noted.

However, the end of the process, which has taken up to 161 days, is among the limitations, because anyone who chooses to join a CCS must wait for the approval or not of the delegate of Agriculture in the corresponding province, and even many of these requests are consulted at national instances.

The specialist considered that the sector delegate in the municipality should be the person with such power, taking into account that he or she is the one who declares idle land by trade when the state sector does not notify them.