'Organic gardens' to expand veggie crops.

Cuba's urban agriculture system, known as organoponicos, produced more than 1.4 million tons of vegetables in 2008 and better results are expected with the incorporation of new areas of development, according to state-run Prensa Latina.

Nelson Campanioni of the Fundamental Research Institute of Tropical Agriculture (INIFAT) told reporters May 22 this system has 9,400 hectares dedicated to urban agriculture and intensive vegetable gardens.

New investments are in progress to boost the available area to 10,000 hectares of which more than 300 are partially protected crops.

The main purpose of this movement is the production of food, medicinal plants and flowers in the cities and neighboring areas and using an agro-ecological agriculture to avoid chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

This system constitutes more than 4,000 urban agriculture and intensive vegetable gardens, plots, family gardens and suburban farms among other forms of production and which employs about 300,000 people, according to the article.

Campanioni said the goal is to help each Cuban to consume 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day.

Initiated in 1997, urban agriculture is present in every municipality of Cuba. The institution works jointly with the National Group of Fruits of the Ministry of Agriculture to guarantee sufficient availability of mangos, guavas and other tropical fruit.

Details: Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical, Calles 1 y 2, No. 17200, Santiago de las Vegas, La Habana. Tel: [phone]. URL: www.inifat.co.cu.