Cuba, Endless Crisis: No Flour to Bake Bread

65 years after the “Revolution,” Cuba is experiencing one of the worst crises in its history. In the coming weeks, the population may experience a shortage of even one of the most basic means of subsistence – bread. Havana’s Ministry of Food Industry has actually explained that there is a shortage of wheat flour, and until the end of March it will not be able to guarantee the supply of bread on the list regulating the supply of goods. Empresa de Molineria, a state-owned flour company, informed about difficulties in finding raw materials.

In 2023, the country’s GDP shrank by 2%, and inflation was 30% with severe product shortages and rising essentials such as food, medicine, and fuel. In February, the regulated price of gasoline rose more than 500%, from 20 cents a gallon to more than $1.

The government is slowly implementing some market reforms, but in the short term the situation is at breaking point in a country that imports 80% of its raw materials and has very serious budgetary problems. According to the Cubadebate newspaper, only one of the five flour mills on the island is currently operating and producing just 250 tons of flour per day, which is too little for a country of more than 11 million people. The regulated family basket alone would require more than double that amount (about 20,000 tons per month).

The US financial and trade embargo is putting heavy pressure on the food industry, as well as other sectors of the economy.