Cuba has given private farmers nearly 2.5M acres

[Judi Lynn]

The Associated Press June 25, 2010, 4:57PM ET
Cuba has given private farmers nearly 2.5M acres
By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ

Cuba has distributed nearly 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of unused state land to private farmers and others trying their hand at farming, more than half the territory it hopes to give out in an effort to revitalize an agriculture sector hampered by decades of government mismanagement.

Pedro Olivera, director of the National Office for Land Control, told The Associated Press on Friday that the land has been distributed to 110,000 farmers as well as 1,715 cooperatives and agricultural organizations.

The figure represents 56 percent of the 4.36 million acres (1.76 million hectares) of fallow state land authorities want to turn over to private interests.

"The process is advancing," Olivera said in an interview following a tour of a small fruit, vegetable and livestock cooperative on the outskirts of Havana.

More:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GIHGJG0.htm

[Braulio]

1. Good first step, now they need to allow private industry and commerce

It seems the Cuban communist elite realizes its communist ideology leads nowhere. This is the way China began to turn itself into a capitalist behemoth. The next step is to allow Cubans to own industry and commerce, including private banks, and of course newspapers, TV stations, schools, fishing boats, etc. once they do this, they'll be well on their way to 21st century capitalism. And this means the end of the communist choke hold on the political system will end.

[CJvR]

2. Another one?

So one more communist regime throw Marx overboard, how nice.
Lets hope the Cubans are able to do something with this tiny bit of economic freedom.

[Braulio]

3. it takes a while, but communism always fails

And the people kick them out of power. :-)