![]() Her daily life was aired on television akin to soap operas that kept locals hooked. She was a steady reference in Castro’s national speeches, wherein he emphasised on the superior milking and breeding abilities of the communists. Ubre Blanca was now ready to dominate as a political symbol. Soon after, her total production was recorded at 24,269lts over a 305-day lactation cycle-another record breaking achievement. ![]() Surely enough, the well-kept artificially bred cow delivered 109.5ltrs of milk in July 1982. These numbers were flashed on the daily news for the entire nation to see. She ate new things every day, and was milked in an air conditioned environment with soft music to alleviate stress and discomfort.Ĭastro aspired for his supercow to break the world record set by American Arlinda Ellen, who had been producing 80lts of milk since 1975, and to that end, he instructed the staff to milk her six times a day and record the quantity of each milking. The cow was raised under his direct watch in a stable in Neuva Gerona and, as many will tell you, lived in conditions better than most Cubans. She became his personal pet project, quite literally. The one and only successful cow was birthed from this experiment in 1972, and named Ubre Blanca. In Castro’s vision, these cows would be bred by the hundreds, and soon multiply to the millions.Īs they say, you only have to be right one time. By this method, a native cebu cow producing 1.5ltrs of milk would soon be birthing a calf that could give almost 10ltrs. When all else failed, Castro ordered cross artificial breeding of the cows to produce a new Cuban breed that was resilient as well as high-yielding. ![]() Castro imported high-yielding Holstein cows from Canada, but they couldn’t survive the tropical climate. The cebu cows native to Cuba were unable to produce the amount of milk that could satiate public need. Cubans were craving more and more milk, but the system was not sustainable. Giant ice cream parlours were coming up on every corner and camembert cheese was making waves in diplomatic circles-all thanks to Castro. The communist leader’s craze was now becoming state policy. Growing Demand Without SupplyĪnd thus, development spurred in the milk industry. The attempt failed though, as the pill froze onto the freezer’s wall and broke during extraction. The poison was to be slipped in while preparing this milkshake. This was where Castro drank his chocolate milkshake every day. A poisonous pill was placed in the freezer of the Hotel Habana Libre in the mid-60s. So vocal was he about his taste, that the CIA found out about it and used it to assassinate the leader multiple times. Castro was a lover of dairy, a devout fan of the white elixir that nurtured the ailing and growing. The man was a riveting politician-socialist in his approach and hardcore in his execution. So famous did this bovine become that her name would be chanted in the same breath with Fidel Castro, Cuba’s revolutionary leader, for decades to come.įidel Castro became the face of Cuba in January 1959. With her titular white udders she single-handedly revolutionised Cuba’s dairy culture, albeit temporarily. Her name was Ubre Blanca and she was unlike any cow that ever walked on earth. Only a cow, singular in her kind, ever came close to satiating the hunger of millions, and of course, their milk-craving president.ġ987 picture of Ubre Blanca cow, stuffed inside a glass box, in a cow ranch East of Havana. In the tumultuous history of necessity, invention and recurring dearth, no scientist nor entrepreneur of the highest intelligence could save the country. ![]() For all their love of dairy, Cubans have always remained starved for milk. ![]()
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