These were among the words of José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Party Central Committee, during provincial annual review assemblies of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), in Mayabeque and Pinar de Río, in preparation for the organization’s XII Congress.

Machado Ventura continued in Pinar del Río: “That (land) was yours and it was usurped by the system that prevailed in the country,” recalling Fidel’s insistence on advancing in implementation of the Agrarian Reform Law, after the awarding of these first property titles, March 1, 1959.

“Every day you confront the hardships imposed by the U.S. government’s blockade, which seeks to starve our people, but the will of the men and women of the countryside is to overcome these obstacles and produce greater volumes of food, vegetables, grains and fruit,” he stated in Mayabeque, a young province that plays a key role in feeding Havana.

José Ramón Monteagudo Ruiz, member of the Central Committee Secretariat, and Enrique Santiesteban Pozo, ANAP president and member of the Council of State, participated in both assemblies, along with authorities of both provinces.

Vega de Limones, a beautiful spot within the Matías Popular Council, deep in the Sierra Maestra, was the scene of the event dedicated to Fidel’s 90th birthday and the founding of the farmers’ organization.

Santiago was recognized as the country’s leading agricultural province, by

Santiago Pérez Castellano, head of the Party Central Committee’s agricultural-food department, with Rafael Santiesteban Pozo, ANAP president, and provincial leader Luis Vinent Perera in attendance.

The historic community of Tercer Frente was honored as the country’s greatest coffee producer, along with San Luis as a National Vanguard food producer, by Lázaro Expósito Canto, first Party secretary in the province.

During the event, Gonzalo Pérez Ortiz, from the José Antonio Echeverría Cooperative (Songo-La Maya),and Mariuska Ortega Pérez, from the 26 de Julio Cooperative (Contramaestre), reiterated their commitment to defend the Revolution, which gave them ownership of the land they work and dignity.

In his remarks, Santiesteban Pozo, noted that ANAP has arrived at this anniversary with 3,321 grassroots branches and the incorporation of 11,859 new members, including many young farmers.

He emphasized that the steps taken by the country to support farmers now demand that campesinos make the most of agricultural land at their disposal, and apply the latest scientific and technological knowledge to increase efficiency and the sustainability of food production.

(Granma)