Strengthening the Fruit Production Chains in Cuba

The project aims to increase food security in Cuba through strengthening three fruit production chains (mangos guava and papaya) in order to satisfy demand and generate sustainable development that allows import substitution. The project seeks to improve the performance and management of fruit production chains at the local level in five municipalities in the provinces of Artemisa and Santiago. The project aims to increase fruit production between 15 and 30% in the five targeted municipalities and update the national fruit strategy from the findings and lessons learned of these local experiences. Project activities include: (1) supporting coordination between local and national actors and decision makers in the fruit chain; (2) strengthening the capacity of national and local actors to conduct assessments and prepare strategies using a value chain approach; (3) developing and implementing tools to effectively involve women and youth and promote energy efficiency in value chain assessments and planning; (4) training farmers in fruit cooperatives in agro-techniques management and market studies with an emphasis on training women and youth; (5) providing equipment and inputs to strengthen fruit cooperatives capacities to increase fresh and processed fruit production and sales; (6) supporting cooperatives in the implementation of quality control mechanisms; (7) training direct (for example preparation for retail and industry cleaning and storage processing distribution and commercialization) and indirect (service and input providers such as seeds fertilizers and pesticides soils studies and water provision packaging and transport) actors in the value chain approach; (8) providing equipment and inputs to strengthen the capacity of these key actors in the value chain to help overcome bottlenecks identified in the assessments; and (9) implementing enabling practices to incorporate gender equality and promote youth employment among direct and indirect actors

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced local and national capacities to assess plan manage and commercialize fruit production applying a value chain approach that integrates gender equality and energy efficiency; (2) increased capacity of cooperatives to sustainably produce process and market fresh and processed fruits on a demand-responsive basis ensuring opportunities for women and youth; and (3) improved sustainable and equitable operation of the value chain through the strengthening of direct and indirect actors relevant to the chain.