A factory donated by China, which will begin to produce bio-pesticides by the end of the year, will enable Cuba to step up its biological pest control efforts. The factory is being built in the province of Matanzas, around 100 kilometers from Havana, and will become part of a research and production-oriented complex that includes laboratories specializing in areas like virology, entomology, and toxicology.

Cuba, which began to employ plant-based pest control techniques in the 1970s, will now produce around 500 tons a year of biological means of protecting its crops.