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In the Cuban Countryside, a Shift from Sugar
Castro Abandons Staple Industry, Pins Hopes on Tourism
 Listen to Tom Gjelten's report.
Aug. 8, 2002 -- This summer, the government of Cuba quietly took one of the most significant steps since Fidel Castro came to power more than 40 years ago: It abandoned much of its sugar industry. Most of the country's sugar mills have been permanently closed, and most of the land where sugar cane was grown is being turned over to other uses.
For centuries, sugar has been the base of the Cuban economy, and a key part of the country's identity. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the downsizing of the industry shows some of the economic pressures Cuba faces in the post-Soviet era, and how the country is changing in response.
Sugar's importance to Cuba is reflected in a common Cuban saying: "Sin azucar, no hay pais" -- no sugar, no country. When Castro came to power in 1959, he and other revolutionary leaders felt the island's tourism industry as degrading, and decided to focus on intense sugar cultivation.
The country's sugar mills, mostly owned by U.S. companies, were all nationalized, and in the early years of the revolution all Cubans were encouraged to help work the cane fields. Idealistic supporters of the revolution from around the world -- including many young Americans -- were inspired to join in the cane harvesting. Even communist revolutionary icon Che Guevara was seen cutting cane in the fields.
Generous subsidies from the Soviet Union kept the sugar trade profitable, and when the Soviet Union collapsed, the Cuban government funneled money into the industry. Sugar production employed half a million Cuban workers and even the most ancient sugar mills were kept open -- no matter how inefficiently they were operating.
But the Cuban sugar industry was in trouble. The use of corn syrup and artificial sweeteners was cutting into world demand, and sugar prices were dropping. When sugar mills began closing in 1998, it was considered a temporary move. But this summer, the Cuban government announced that all but 71 of the 156 mills in Cuba would permanently shut down.
The "Patria" mill in the province of Ciego de Avila now stands idle. The local sugar ministry representative, Eliezer Garcia, says six of the other eight mills in this province will continue operating, but with fewer workers. "The world is changing," he tells Gjelten. "We were waiting to see whether the prices would improve and the international situation would change. But there's no alternative. This is what we have to do."
To replace sugar, Cuban authorities are exploring a business the communist revolution once scorned: tourism. And as it turns out, some of the idled sugar mills may still have a role in this new economy, where tourism earns the nation close to $2 billion annually.
The Patria mill is becoming a museum, kept partially operative to show visiting tourists how sugar mills used to work in Cuba. Old steam-powered locomotives that once hauled cane now haul tourists from nearby beach resorts up to the old mill facilities.
"It's an important source of income for us," says Ramon Fernandez, the last director of the Patria mill. "We've had almost 9,000 visitors here already since we started these tours last year."
Cuban officials insist they are not giving up on the sugar industry -- the most efficient mills will be kept open and the most productive sugar land will still be devoted to cane production. Still, the psychological impact of the move away from sugar should not be taken lightly.
"The dilemma for the government is clear: If the reorganization of the Cuban sugar industry to be successful, analysts say, it needs to be ambitious," Gjelten says. "Otherwise, the industry is likely to be a continued drain on national resources.
"But if the changes are so sudden and sweeping as to leave thousands of Cuban sugar workers unsure what's coming next, the quiet Cuban countryside could become a scene of discontent."
 Browse more NPR stories on Cuba.
Other Resources
• Directorio Turístico de Cuba, Cuba's official tourist agency.
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