176-10036-10055 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10055 RECORD SERIES : National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : CIA FROM : CIA TO : DOS TITLE : Cuba: Estimate of Agricultural Destruction DATE : 10/9/1963 PAGES : 4 SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 50: Cuba Subjects: Hurricane Flora Assistance 10/7/63-10/18/1963. Box 1 Ey ARNE Be on om TF oh oe DIL HT DMM Pann @
- te GAMLT( TED WUC" Ol OY S'S y VV EUWag2 p74 PP RUEPWW ara DE RUEPCR 571 18/2113Z ‘P 1021122 QI FM DA- INFO WHITE HOUSE ie P 101510Z ZEX. | | . cD qa.ta3y FM CIA WASHDC TO RUEHC/DEPT STATE RUEPDA/ACSI DA RUEAHQ/AFSSO USAF - RYECW/CNO RUEPDA/JCS RUEAHQ/DIA RUECTDD/DIRNSA BT gage , c 0 COREIENTIAL FOR DIR I&R, XPLT BR, DNI, CIIC, CREF C312. CITE TD/00-K-3,277,461 | | | (Chee ADVANCE TELETYPE DISSEMINATION (COMPLETE) OF 00-K-3,277,461. NORMAL DSSEMINATION WILL FOLLOW. THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. COUNTRY 3 CUBA , | SUBJECT : ESTIMATE OF AGRICULTURAL DESTRUCTION DUE TO _ HURRICANE FLORA DATE OF INFO + 9 OCT 63 AND EARLIER PLACE ACQUIRED: --- | . S DATE ACQUIRED: 9 OCT 63 AND EARLIER we ae me KR. Ar ARAM AA Pea eee
PAGE 2 RUEPIA 31X CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE: CUBAN NATIONAL, PRESENTLY LIVING IN THE U.S. SOURCE HAS BEEN.AN AGRICULTURAN ENGINEER FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND WAS EMPLOYED BY THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR OVER 15 YEARS. DURING THE BATISTA REGIME, AS WELL AS TWO YEARS UNDER THE CASTRO REGIME, HE WAS DEPUTY CHIEF OF PLANS AND PROGRAMS IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE. HE 1S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AGRICULTURAL AREA IN ORIENTE, AND HAS PROVIDED EXCELLENT INFORMATION ONCUBAN AGRICULTURE NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE PAST. HE IS CONSIDERED AN AUTHORITY IN THIS FIELD. (THIS REPORT WAS DEVELOPED BY AN AFNIN AIR FORCE REPRESENTATIVE ASSIGNED TO THE OFFICE OF PREPARATION.) 1. BASED ON MY EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE CUBAN AGRICULTURAL FIELD, AND HAVING WITNESSED DAMAGE TO CUBAN AGRICULTURE BY PAST HURRICANES, I ESTIMATE THAT THE HURRICANE FLORA, PROBABLY DESTROYED CLOSE TO 5@ PER CENT OF CUBA’S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION FOR THIS YEAR, AND WILL HAVE A SERIOUS EFFECT ON NEXT YEARS*S PRODUCTION. THE AREA WHERE THE HURRICANE WAS STATIONARY FOR SEVERAL DAYS, IS THE PRINCIPAL GRAIN BELT IN CUBA. 2- ABOUT 5@ TO 6@ PER CENT OF CUBA'S RICE IS GROWN IN ORIENTE, IN THE AREA OF MANZANILLO. A CUBAN VARIETY OF RICE, KNOWN
PAGE 3 RUEPIA 31IX CONFIDENTIAL AS ZAYAS BAZAN (OR HONDURAS) IS PLANTED IN THIS AREA AND HAS A PECULIAR CHARACTERISTIC. THE STEM OF THIS RICE IS VERY WEAK, AND ALWAYS BENDS WHEN THE FULL HEAD IS FORMED, ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE HARVEST. THIS VARIETY OF RICE IS HARVESTED, STARTING ABOUT 15 NOVEMBER, SO I ASSUME THAT MOST OF IT IS NOW DOWN. BECAUSE OF THIS CHARACTERISTIC THE RICE HAD.TO BE HARVESTED BY HAND, OR eS. MACHINERY MODIFIED, SINCE THE RICE HEADS HAD TO BE PICKED. FROM THE GROUND. IT WAS ALSONECESSARY TO DRAIN THE WATER OFF THE RICE A MONTH TO SIX WEEKS BEFORE HARVEST, SO THAT THE HEADS WOULD NOT GERMINATE AND ROT IN THE WATER. DUE TO THE EXTREME FLOODING DURING THE RECENT HURRICANE AND THE FACT THAT THE RICE WAS ALMOST READY FOR HARVEST, I ESTIMATE THAT THE ENTIRE CROP WILL BE LOST. 3. MOST OF THE BEANS CONSUMED IN CUBA ARE GROWN IN THE HOLGUIN AREA. BEAN PLANTS CAN NOT STAND TOO MUCH FLOODING, OR EXCESSIVE WINDS. I AM REASONABLY SURE THAT NOST OF THE BEAN CROP WILL BE LOST. | 4. KOLGUIN WAS ALSOTHE CENTER FOR CORN EXPERIMENTATION. - THE CORNDLLI SEED COMPANY ESTABLISHED A LARGE EXPERIMENTAL FARM NEAR HOLGUIN, PRIOR TO THE CASTRO REGIME, WHICH WAS TAKEN OVER
PAGE 4 RUEPIA 31IX CONFIDENTIAL AND CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED BY THE CASTRO GOVERNMENT. ONE THOUSAND ACRES OF LAND WERE USED TO RAISE HYBRID SEED CORN FOR - THE ENTIRE ISLAND. THE CORN IS ALMOST MATURE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE HURRICANE, WHICH REMAINED IN THAT AREA FOR ALMOST FOUR DAYS, PROBABLY DESTROYED THE ENTIRE CORN CROP, AND OF MORE. SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE, THE SEED CROP FOR NEXT ‘YEAR. END OF REPORT. GP-1. BT NNNNM