176-10036-10056 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10056 RECORD SERIES : National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : CIA FROM : CIA © TO : DOS TITLE : Cuba: Damage Done to Cuban Agriculture DATE : 10/10/1963 PAGES : 5 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 t @W Aanat Roe +s 2IR9Q7GR Daswo 4
- Sh UT(1ED Nuk al: OSo. tli te & | | OO . | —_ a . 9 PP RUEPWW | } DE RUEPCR 56 t2/gsisz EA. 33 | - P 1120142 | CO Ge: FM JCS : INFO WHITE HOUSE ‘11139@Z ZEX FM CIA WASHDC | ‘ TO RUEHC/DEPT STATE £3g98 | G RUEPDA/ACSI DA co, RUEAHQM/AFSSO USAF RUECW/CNO RUEPDA /JCS RUEAHQM/DIA RUECTDD/DIRNSA | BT | CONFIDENT IA L/FOR DIR 1aR, XPLT BR, DNI, CIIC, CREF C312. CITE TD/00-K-3,277,602 oe | ADVANCE TELETYPE DISSEMINATION (COMPLETE) OF 00-K-3,277,602. NORMAL DISSEMINATION WILL FOLLOW. THIS IS-UNEVALUATED' INFORMATION. COUNTRY - — CUBA | | | “SUBJECT . - + DAMAGE TO CUBAN AGRICULTURE BY KURRICANE FLORA DATE OF INFO : 16 OCT 63 AND EARLIER ‘PLACE. ACQUIRED: --- DATE ACQUIRED + 19 OCT 63 AND EARLIER | SOURCE’ == CUBAN NATIONAL, A “12 821-345, .WHO ARRIVED IN THE US we ae RF. Mr MA Fee ee
PAGE 2 RYEPCR S56 CONFIDENTIAL IN JULY 1962 aS A POLITICAL REFUGEE; . | SOURCE IS A GRADUATE AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER. PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM CUBA, HE WORKED IN THE PLANT DISEASE SECTION IF INRA. | (SOURCE IS NORMALLY AVAILABLE FOR REINTERROGAT ION SHOULD THIS REPORT GENERATE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.) | , | 1. DURING MY-YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE GOC, I TRAVELED ALL OVER THE ISLAND, AND AM THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH CROP CONDITIONS IN THE'VARIOUS PROVINCES. BASED ON MY: EXPERIENCE, I BELIEVE THAT THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS THE DAMAGE DONE TO CUBAN AGRICULTURE BY HURRICANE FLORA. | | | 2. RICE: ALL OF THE SUMMER CROP WHICH HAD BEEN PLANTED FOR ” HARVESTING IN FUBRUARY AND MARCH IN CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES ‘HAS BEEN DESTROYED. THESE TWO PROVINCES REPRESENT MORE THAN 52 PERCENT OF TOTAL RICE PRODUCTION IN CUBA. THEY UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE LOST ALL LEVIES AND DIKES, AND WILL HAVE TO REPARE A CROP ALL OVER AGAIN. IT WOULD TAKE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS TO SALVAGE ANYTHING OF THE PRESENT CROP. IT SHOULD ALSO BE RECOGNIZED THAT SEVERE DAMAGE MUST HAVE BEEN INCURRED BY MILLS AND STORAGE BUILDINGS, WHICH WERE NOT IN GOOD CONDITION TO BEGIN - WITH.
- PAGE 3 RUEPCR 56 CONFIDENTIAL ; 3. BANANAS: THE ENTIRE CROP HAS BEEN LOST, AND THERE WILL BE NO PRODUCTION IN THE EFFECTED PROVINCES FOR SIX TQ TEN MONTHS UNTIL ‘NEY PLANTS ARE READY FOR HARVEST. ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WILL. BE THE NECESSITY OF CUTTING FALLEN TREES TO SAVE THE FIELDS. CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES REPRESENT OVER 59 PERCENT OF TOTAL PRODUCTION OF BANANAS. — | 4. KENAF: ALL KENAF PRODUCED IN CUBA COMES FROM CAMAGUEY AND WAS ALREADY IN HARVEST. THEY PROBABLY HAVE LOST ALL PLANTED UNLESS THEY ARE WILLING TO ASSIGN SEVERAL THOUSAND: LABORERS ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS TO TRY AND SAVE SOME OF THE CROP. - 5, TOBACCO: THERE WILL BE SEVERE LOSS IN SANCTI SPIRITUS AND CABAIGUAN AREAS DUE TO HIGH WINDS. HOWEVER, THEY WILL HAVE TIME TO REPLANT. THERE IS NOT TOBACCO PRODUCTION OF ANY IMPORTANCE IN CANAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES. 6. COTTON: CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES REPRESENT ABOUT 75 PER CENT OF TOTAL PRODUCTION. NORMAL PLANTING ENDS AROUND | SEPTEMBER, AND THERE WILL BE NO CHANCE TO PLANT AGAIN. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE LOST 75 PER CENT OF THE COTTON CROP AT LEAST, WHICH WILL REPRESENT ABOUT 6@ PER CENT OF ALL COTTON GROWN IN CUBA. COTTON IS LOST AFTER IT SPENDS AS MUCH AS TWO DAYS UNDFR ee oF Aahet Rian Bo DMA epee The on a e
PAGE 4 RUEPCR 56 CONFIDENTIAL WATER. ‘ADDITIONAL COTTON IN STORAGE WILL PROBABLY HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE aS IT IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO HUMIDITY. MUCH OF COTTON STORAGE FACILITIES ARE OF POOR CONSTRUCTION AND° LEAKAGE WOULD BE a SERIOUS PROBLEM. IF ANY REPLANTING IS-ATTEMPTED, THERE WILL BE AN EXTREMELY LOY YIELD, AS WAS PROVED IN 1962 WHEN THEY TRIED REPLANTING IN OCTOBER. 7. BEANS/CORN: THESE ARE MAJOR CROPS IN CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES, AND ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF ALL PRODUCTION IN CUBA. ALL OF THE CROPS ALREADY PLANTED, WHICH WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR HARVESTING IN DECEMBER, WILL HAVE BEEN LOST. 8. COFFEE: THE COFFEE HARVEST WAS JUST GETTING STARTED AND | THE ENTIRE NON-HARVESTED CROP WILL HAVE BEEN LOST, PLUS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF WHAT THEY MAY HAVE IN STORAGE AS COFFEE NEEDS | TO BE DRIED FOR.TWO OR THREE WEEKS. THE LOSS WILL COST AT LEAST 95 PERCENT OF THE CROP FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS AS COFFEE PLANTS NEED AT. LEAST TWO YEARS TO RECOVER. HOWEVER, SOME COFFEE IS GROWN IN LAS VILLAS AND PINAR DEL RIO PROVINCES, AND THIS ‘PROBABLY HaS NOT BEEN GREATLY AFFECTED. — 9. CACAO: ALL CACAO GROWN IN CUBA IS. PRODUCED IN ORIENTE _ PROVINCE, AND THE ENTIRE CROP WILL HAVE BEEN LOST. SOM ra Ree ARERR = =
PAGE 5 RUEPCR 56CONFIDENTIAL 1g. FRUIT: THERE WILL HAVE BEEN A VERY HEAVY LOSS IN: CITRUS FRUITS, NOT ONLY FOR THIS YEAR BUT NEXT. THE SAME SITUATION APPLIES TO OTHER NATIVE FRUITS SUCH AS MANGOES, THE ENTIRE PINEAPPLE CROP IN CAMAGUEY WILL HAVE SUFFERED HEAVY DAMAGE. if. CATTLE: THERE WILL HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC LOSS’ OF CATTLE IN CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES. 12. IN ADDITION TO THE DAMAGE TO CROPS, IT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WILL BE VERY HEAVY DAMAGE TO STORAGE BUILDINGS FOR FERTILIZER, PESTICIDES, AND INSECTICIDES, AS THE STORAGE FACILITIES FOR SUCH PRODUCTS WERE VERY BAD. END OF REPORT. GP-1 BT NNNN