Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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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

40061

TArTA SD6DOTOT

Dare 1

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SANITIZED MK: 01.050.1.1.4

9

EU+ 027

RECEIVED

WHASA

PP RUEPWW

1963 CCT 12

06.33

DE RUEPCR 56 12/03152

P 112014Z

Caler

FM JCS

INFO WHITE HOUSE

111300Z ZEX

FM CIA WASHDC

TO RUEHC/DEPT STATE

17898

RUEPDA/ACSI DA

RUEAHQM/AFSSO USAF

RUE CW / CNO

RUEPDA /JCS

RUEAHQM/DIA

copy to class

RUECTDD /DIRNSA

BT

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTI A L/FOR DIR I8R,. XPLT BR, DNI, CIIC, CREF C312•

CITE TD/ 00-K-3,277,602

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 HURRICANE FLORA

DATE OF INFO : 10 OCT 63 AND EARLIER

PLACE. ACQUIRED: --

DATE ACQUIRED : 10 OCT 63 AND EARLIER

SOURCE™

: CUBAN NATIONAL, A 12 821: 345, WHO ARRIVED IN THE US

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PAGE 2 RUEPOR 56 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 REINTERROGATION SHOULD THIS REPORT

GENERATE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENIS.)

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 50

PERCENT OF TOTAL RICE PRODUCTION IN CUBA• THEY UNDOUBIEDLY HAVE

LOSI 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.

Ta m

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• PAGE 3 RUEPR 56 CONFIDENIIAL

30 BANANAS: THE ENTIRE CROP HAS BEEN LOST, AND THERE WILL

BE NO PRODUCTION IN THE EFFECTED PROVINCES FOR SIX TO TEN MONIHS

UNTIL NEW 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 50 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 REPLANI. THERE IS NOT TOBACCO PRODUCTION OF ANY IMPORTANCE

IN CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES.

..6. COTTON: CAMAGUEY AND ORIENTE PROVINCES REPRESENT ABOUT

75 PER CENT OF TOTAL PRODUCTION• NORMAL PLANTING ENDS AROUND

1 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 60 PER CENT OF ALL COTTON GROWN IN

CUBA. COTTON IS LOST AFTER IT SPENDS AS MUCH AS TWO DAYS UNDER

AOME

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PAGE 4 RUEPOR 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 LOW YIELD, AS WAS PROVED IN 1962 WHEN THEY TRIED

REPLANTING IN OCTOBER.

70 BEANS/CORN: THESE ARE MAJOR CROPS IN CAMAGUEY AND

ORIENTE PROVINCES, AND ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF

ALL PRODUCIION 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

25 PERCENT OF THE CROP FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS AS COFFEE

PLANTS NEED AT LEAST TWO YEARS IO RECOVER. HOWEVER, SOME COFFEE

IS GROWN IN LAS VILLAS AND PINAR DEL RIO PROVINCES, AND THIS

PROBABLY HAS NOI BEEN GREATLY AFFECTED.

9. CACAO: ALL CACAO GROWN IN CUBA IS PRODUCED IN ORIENTE

PROVINCE, AND THE ENTIRE CROP WILL HAVE BEEN LOST •

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PAGE 5 RUEPOR 56. CONFIDENTIAL

10. 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.

11• 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 PRODUCIS WERE VERY BAD. END OF REPORT. GP-1

BT

CONFIDENTIAL

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