The publication this Friday in the Oficial Gazette number 22 of the legal provisions for the implementation of the policy of conservation, improvement and sustainable management of soils and their fertilizers,becomes a starting point in the effort to create a culture and awareness around an issue that involves the whole society.

Although these regulations will come into force on January 22nd next year, that is to say, in 90 days, training actions are being planned at the productive bases and through the media in order to understand how one of the most important natural resources for agricultural production- and the sutenance of the biodiversity-is one of the least cared for, affecting its degradation and loss of productive capacity, in the opinión of experts.

An expression that the situation is not all favorable is the fact that Cuba is located in areas of considerable concern worldwide in terms of geagraphic zones vulnerable to soil degradation, in addittion to the fact that here only 23.2% of the agricultural areas have productive categories(I and II) and 76.89% are considered not very productive.

According to Master of Science Dagoberto Rodríguez Lozano, from the Direction of Soils and Fertilizers of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG),71% of the surfaces are affected by the erosion, while 1.0 million hectares (ha) are afectted by salinity, 15% by salinization or sodicity, 24 % by compaction, 70% by low content of organic matter or fertility and 2 292 000 ha by acidity.

Regardless of the existing climatic, topographics and edaphological conditions, there has been an inadequate management and exploitation by man, hence the new regulations ratify the objective of promoting the development of sustainable agricultural systems to stop, prevent and reverse the loos of soil agro-productivity.

It is also intended to improve the control and State service for the protection, conservation, improvement, rehabilitation and sustainable management of soils, as well as the use of fertilizers, said the expecialist at a press conference, along with Master of Science Orlando Díaz Rodríguez, legal director of MINAG.

Some 20 principles are part of the policy, among which he mentioned giving greater hierachy to the management and governance of the soil system in the Republic of Cuba, strengthening State structures, and ensuring that the municipal delegations of Agriculture, agricultural enterprises ad productive bases hace specialists to adress this issue, ensuring technical rigor in compliance with legal standards.

At the same time, it is intended to regulate the obligation of land owners to comply with the measures of protection, conservation and improvement is soils under their jurisdiction, and to prioritize investments to recover the infraestructura of the soils system, including the network of laboratories and the State service.

A principle that will undoubtelly have an impact on food production refers to the preservation of soils with agro-productive categories(I and II) fror crops and agricultural production that requiere it, and to allocate areas with lesser categories(III and IV) to crops that use substrates and other investments, except for exceptions approved by MINAG.

Implementation of a teaching –education-training and communication program for managers, technicians, producers and the general population on the sustainable management of soils and fertilizers is among the actions to be developed.

Regarding the legal provisions for the implementation of the Policy, published today in the Official Gazette , the legal director of MINAG explained the scope of Decree-Law 50 of the Council of State and Decree Law 52 of the  Council of Ministers  , both of the current year.

He pointed out that the Regulations of such laws are Resolutions 524/21, on the use and control of the financig of the National Program for the Conservation and Improvement of Soils, incentives and financial mechanisms, 526/21 on how to determine the value of compensation for the change of use and its minimal rental value, 525/21 which deals with the Central Register for Fertilizers , all of the aforementioned agency.

The Ministry of Finance and Prices also pronounced with the Resolution 386/21 on the Payment of the Compensation Value for the change of use of soils.

Taken from ACN.