La Innovación y la transferencia de tecnologías en la Estación Experimental "Indio Hatuey": 50 años propiciando el desarrollo del sector rural cubano (Parte I) Innovation and technology transference at the Experimental Station "Indio Hatuey": 50 years propitiating development in the Cuban rural sector (Part I)

With the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) created a centralized management and technological innovation system, which generated substantial changes in the farmers’ living and working conditions. However, this enhancement had structural limitations that caused unfavorable economic and environmental consequences, which determined the need for a technological change in the Cuban agriculture of the 1990’s. This problem forced the knowledge development centers to search for new ways for the effective application of the innovations, an issue that was priority of the EEPF “Indio Hatuey” since its creation. The highest impact generated by the Station in terms of generalization of results was associated to the opportunities originated by the MINAGRI with the creation of a system of agricultural extension in 1976-1980. The scientific results were focused on forage conservation, as strategy to relieve the feed deficit occurred every year, during the dry season. With the economic crisis of the 90’s, a reconversion process began in the dairy cattle exploitation technologies. In the mid 90’s, the silvopastoral system technology emerged, gradually introduced in 16 provinces of the country, with the advisory of a multidisciplinary group in charge of monitoring and feedback between the generating center and the receptors. Nevertheless, to guarantee the sustainability of the dissemination of these systems, the availability of pasture seeds was a limiting factor. In spite of the novelty of the technologies generated by the Institution, the adoption rate was not in correspondence with the real needs and the effort made by Cuba to reverse the situation of livestock production. The Institution searched for a new way to approach technology transference, visualizing it as a component of the rural territorial development which has determined the appropriation of new concepts and social constructions. Studies were conducted in six municipalities of Matanzas province, with relevant results for the localities.