80:, for instance, private sector pork production increased by more than 500-percent, while rice production increased by more than 400-percent. Nonetheless, MLCs came under criticism after producers began diverting portions of their produce from state sales to the more profitable MLCs, contributing to an upward pressure in prices. Public complaints about high prices led to an investigation of selling practices at MLCs by the
64:
84:
in
February 1982. The inquiry uncovered the growing influence of intermediaries, which were officially prohibited. While new regulations imposed that year to better control the situation resulted in a decrease in popularity of the markets, the number of MLCs in operation had, nevertheless, grown to
59:
Under the terms of the authorizing legislation, private farmers could sell produce at MLCs after their quota obligations to the state had first been met. Certain categories of economically vital produce, including sugar, tobacco, and coffee, were prohibited from sale. Farmers were also limited to
42:
Throughout the 1970s, Cubans enjoyed steadily increasing wages, resulting in higher levels of disposable income. However, inefficiency in the state-managed food distribution network simultaneously resulted in shortages of some agricultural products. Started in 1980 to alleviate the bottleneck,
30:. Authorized by the Cuban government in 1980, they were ended in 1986 as part of a general program of economic centralization. During their short existence they were credited with increasing the productivity of the Cuban agricultural sector, but also criticized for creating upward pressure on
47:
were sites where private farmers and home gardeners could sell their surplus produce directly to consumers, instead of to the state. Their creation was authorized by Decree No. 66 of the
273:
100:
Beginning in 1994, the Cuban government authorized the creation of a new series of farmers' markets that were functionally similar to the MLCs.
60:
selling in their local MLC and were required to sell their surplus produce themselves, instead of through intermediaries.
81:
252:
172:
76:
MLCs were generally credited with increasing agricultural output in Cuba during the period of their existence. In
227:
138:
278:
34:. Since 1994 a new form of farmers' market that is functionally similar to the MLCs has been legal in Cuba.
197:
Rosenberg, Jonathan (1992). "Cuba's Free-Market
Experiment: Los Mercados Libres Campesinos, 1980–1986".
67:
Modern farmers' markets in Cuba, such as this one pictured in 2002, are similar to the former MLCs.
48:
217:
162:
128:
77:
8:
23:
248:
223:
168:
134:
219:
Case
Studies of U.S. Economic Sanctions: The Chinese, Cuban, and Iranian Experience
267:
92:
were ended in 1986 as part of a general program of economic centralization.
31:
22:(Farmers' Free Markets), often known by the abbreviation MLC, were
63:
130:
Cuba's Second
Economy: From Behind the Scenes to Center Stage
27:
265:
242:
133:. Transaction Publishers. pp. 83–90.
247:. University of Texas Press. p. 95.
196:
274:Agricultural organizations based in Cuba
62:
122:
120:
118:
116:
114:
112:
266:
215:
160:
156:
154:
152:
150:
245:Corruption in Cuba: Castro and Beyond
192:
190:
188:
186:
184:
126:
109:
71:
147:
82:National Revolutionary Police Force
13:
181:
14:
290:
236:
209:
199:Latin American Research Review
1:
103:
37:
54:
7:
243:Pérez-López, Jorge (2010).
10:
295:
222:. Greenwood. p. 124.
90:Mercados Libres Campesinos
45:Mercados Libres Campesinos
26:that formerly operated in
19:Mercados Libres Campesinos
167:. ABC-CLIO. p. 155.
95:
216:Askari, Hossein (2003).
85:more than 250 by 1985.
68:
127:López, Jorge (1995).
66:
161:Henken, Ted (2013).
78:Villa Clara Province
69:
72:Growth and demise
286:
279:Farmers' markets
259:
258:
240:
234:
233:
213:
207:
206:
194:
179:
178:
158:
145:
144:
124:
49:Council of State
24:farmers' markets
294:
293:
289:
288:
287:
285:
284:
283:
264:
263:
262:
255:
241:
237:
230:
214:
210:
195:
182:
175:
159:
148:
141:
125:
110:
106:
98:
74:
57:
40:
12:
11:
5:
292:
282:
281:
276:
261:
260:
254:978-0292714823
253:
235:
228:
208:
180:
174:978-1851099849
173:
146:
139:
107:
105:
102:
97:
94:
73:
70:
56:
53:
39:
36:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
291:
280:
277:
275:
272:
271:
269:
256:
250:
246:
239:
231:
225:
221:
220:
212:
204:
200:
193:
191:
189:
187:
185:
176:
170:
166:
165:
157:
155:
153:
151:
142:
136:
132:
131:
123:
121:
119:
117:
115:
113:
108:
101:
93:
91:
86:
83:
79:
65:
61:
52:
50:
46:
35:
33:
29:
25:
21:
20:
244:
238:
218:
211:
202:
198:
163:
129:
99:
89:
87:
75:
58:
44:
41:
18:
16:
15:
205:(3): 51–53.
32:food prices
268:Categories
229:1567205410
140:1560001895
104:References
38:Background
55:Operation
251:
226:
171:
137:
96:Legacy
249:ISBN
224:ISBN
169:ISBN
164:Cuba
135:ISBN
88:The
28:Cuba
17:Los
270::
203:27
201:.
183:^
149:^
111:^
51:.
257:.
232:.
177:.
143:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.