A New Failure

A New Failure / Fernando Damaso
Posted on June 8, 2013

The announced rescue of sugar production, after the ravages of the
Alvaro Reynoso Task that finished dozens of plants, and the adjustments
and readjustments of the "upgrade" and the application of the
"guidelines", seems not to have achieved the objectives, with production
having, in some cases, declined.

Despite nearly six months of harvesting, it appears that we not exceed
the one million four hundred thousand tons of sugar expected (an
extended time when historically, with less technological equipment and
development, the harvest reached four to five million tons in less than
ninety days).

At least, that is what emerges from the literature on the harvest in the
province of Villa Clara. Figures are figures: despite organizational
measures taken, resources allocated, etc., the harvest produced 11,000
fewer tons than planned (5,400 tons more than the previous harvest,
which was 5,600). In addition, it missed the 44% of the time (26.66% is
attributed to the rains), the sugar mill capacity reached 56%, a very
low indicator, and industrial performance was 10.60.

The listed causes are many: lack of control, lack of coordination and
forecasting, rainfall, human activity, especially among those cadres led
the process, administrative and technological indiscipline, excessive
foreign matter, grinding cane backward and burnt, low combined
productivity, lack of on time completion with the necessary means to
guarantee the results, indiscipline among the brigades at the beginning
and end of the day, poor quality of delivered equipment and parts, late
delivery to the centers (up to 37 days overdue), and so on. The list of
misfortunes could go on and become endless. A similar picture is
repeated in other provinces.

I ask two simple questions: Is this not enough, repeated year after
year, to finally understand that the "model" does not work? Why do we
have to wait before deciding to discard and replace it with one that has
shown itself, despite its imperfections, to be better, more productive
and better?

7 June 2013

http://translatingcuba.com/a-new-failure-fernando-damaso/