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Agrarian Reform Law of 1959

By: EconomyWatch Date: 21 April 2010

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Agrarian reform law of 1959 guaranteed sufficient compensation and sufficient agrarian facilities to the agrarian workers in Cuba.

Historical Background: Agrarian Reform Law of 1959

Agriculture sector always contributed a significant portion to the national income of Cuban economy. After Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, he and his revolutionary party targeted to transform the agrarian system of Cuba by implementing different agrarian reform measures. In this process of agrarian reform, agrarian reform law was constituted to regulate the agrarian activities in Cuba.

Agrarian Reform Law of Cuba

The agrarian reform law of Cuba was enacted with an objective of redistribution of large landholdings among cooperatives and cultivators.

Agrarian Reform Law of 1959

Agrarian reform law of 1959, was the first agrarian reform law passed by the government of Cuba on 17th May, 1959. The second agrarian reform law of Cuba was enacted in October, 1963.Fidel Castro and his revolutionary forces instituted the country's first agrarian reform law on 2nd June, 1959, after they came to the power by ceasing Batista regime.

Objectives of Agrarian Reform Law of 1959

The primary objective of agrarian reform law of 1959 was to distribute all unused agricultural land of Cuba among the cultivators. Agrarian reform law also targeted to share the profit of the agricultural sector among the peasants of Cuba. The law nationalized all the agrarian land of Cuba. It can be mentioned here that, a major portion of the agricultural land of Cuba was owned by the shareholders of United States.The National Institute of agrarian reform was formed to supervise the agrarian reform activities in Cuba. Ultimately, the Agrarian Reform Law of 1959 was successful to promote massive land distribution in Cuba.At the start, the agrarian reform law of 1959 distributed some of the total agrarian landholdings in Cuba and boosted the development of cooperatives. Firstly, the law did not authorize distribution of large sugarcane plantations.

The primary objectives of the agrarian reform law can be summarized as follows:

Insuring growth of Cuban agricultural sector through agrarian reform

Proper Utilization of natural and human resources in Cuba

Increase in the total agricultural output

Agrarian Reform Law of 1959: Effect

The agrarian reform law of 1959 laid down the rules for expropriation. But the same law ensured that the private landowners would be getting enough reparation in the event of expropriation of land.

The agrarian reform law mainly discussed about:

Formation of Cooperatives

Land subject to expropriation

Recipients of agricultural land

Implementation procedure of agrarian reformFormation of Cooperatives: The agrarian reform law facilitated in formation of cooperatives by the farmers and agricultural workers. The agrarian reform law also promoted the abolishment of pre- capitalism( like tenant farming) from Nicaragua. Land Subject to Expropriation: This law confirmed the idea of expropriation. The categories of land that were scheduled to be expropriated were:

All abandoned land

Land used for tenant cultivation

Idle land

Agricultural Land rented out for profit Recipients of the agricultural land: According to agrarian reform law agricultural land were distributed among persons and organizations according to the following priority list:1. Poor farmers
2. Farmers with inadequate land
3. Individual cultivators
4. Agrarian Reform Enterprises