Tomato products will return to the Cuban market

Havana, Cuba. – In Cuban cuisine, tomato puree stands out not only for its color, flavor and aroma, but also for being a source of minerals, but this product has been absent from our stores and markets in recent months.

Osmel Alemán, director general of the Vegetable Preserves Company, explains that for this year’s tomato campaign, an input of raw material from agriculture to industry of more than 79,000 tons was foreseen, and only about 23,000 tons were supplied.

From this plan, the director continues, once processed in the industries, 19 thousand tons had to be obtained in different assortments such as tomato puree, vita nuova, pizza sauce, fried tomato and juices, along other varieties.

Due to the effects of the raw material, 6,700 tons of finished products were produced, for only 35 percent of the forecast.

Gaining market stability

Considering the deficit of raw material to produce puree and sauces, the country decided to import 3 thousand tons of tomato paste.

Of this figure, 2,800 tons were destined to the Vegetable Preserves Company, says its director, Osmel Alemán, who stresses that today this raw material is located in several western provinces for industrial processing.

Despite taking into consideration the 6,700 tons obtained by the Cuban industry, plus those that must be produced with imported tomatoes, there will be an impact of 6,400 tons of puree and sauces in the market.

With the goal of reaching the people with greater speed and stability that necessary product, the Director of the Vegetable Preserves Company ensures that industries are ready to increase production, so there should be an improvement in the presence of the product from next month.

(Taken from Radio Reloj in Spanish)

Written by Radio Grito de Baire