"Bolivarian revolution" in reverse: Cubans line up for chance to use idle state land

[Bacchus39]

HAVANA - Cuba has begun accepting applications from private farmers — both with and without experience — who want to till idle government land.


President Raul Castro is struggling to revive Cuba's mismanaged agriculture sector and is hoping the private farmers will raise more food than state cooperatives have been able to.

The land reform allows individual Cubans to farm up to 100 acres (40 hectares) apiece. It was announced in July, but Cuba pushed up the start to Wednesday after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike destroyed much of Cuba's food production.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080917/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_land_reform;_ylt=AgNESbfNkHXyxbMikMbN5da3IxIF