The protracted economic blockade and sanctions imposed by the United States have wreaked havoc on agriculture and posed lethal threat to food security in Cuba, which stirs public outcry in the country against the super power's hegemony and bullyism. On Friday, thousands of Cubans gathered for a large-scale rally at the Plaza Antiimperialista in the capital Havana, demanding that the United States lift its blockade on Cuba and remove the country from the so-called "state sponsors of terrorism" list. Protesters rebuked the increasingly harsh sanctions and economic suffocation policies imposed by the U.S. government on Cuba. The United States has maintained an economic blockade on Cuba for over 60 years, threatening even the most essential human rights of the Cubans including the right to food. Jose Sosa, a farmer from Havana Province, operates 18 hectares of land on the outskirts of the capital, growing cassava, tomatoes and other staple crops. He also raises cattle, sheep and poultry on his farm. During planting season, Sosa relies on cattle and hand-made plowing tools to prepare the land, as the mechanized farming techniques of the 21st century are out of reach for him. "Right now I am using oxen as machinery. We have problems with the machinery because there is no fuel, no rubber, no parts and spare parts. And the other thing, as I said, since there are no fertilizers, we use organic matter to do things for pests. And we don't have the things to take care of, the resources we need to take care of the plantations. All these limitations have us exhausted," he said. Under the U.S. blockade and sanctions, acquiring farming equipment, pesticides and fertilizers has become incredibly difficult. Sosa explains that what a tractor could accomplish in one day takes15 days using cattle. Without fertilizers and pesticides, crop yields are hard to sustain, and Sosa can only keep his farm running and feed his family through constant hard work. Beyond crop farming, Cuba's livestock industry faces similar challenges. With limited access to feed, veterinary medicines and breeding technology, the country has seen a plummet in the production of meat, eggs and milk. At a state-run dairy farm outside Havana, milk production, which is mostly processed by food companies, has been drastically affected by climate change and U.S. sanctions. Over the past 20 years, milk yield per cow has dropped from 15 liters per day to just 6 liters, and the number of dairy cows has dwindled from 120 to 35. What was once a model farm is now struggling with yearly declines. Cuba's farm output no longer meets the population's needs, leaving the elderly and children without adequate nutrition. This has a negative impact on the health, well-being and human rights of the Cuban people. "But nutrition depends on other, bigger things. Look at the clear examples we have with children's milk. What a great thing, babies' milk. In any country in the world, children's nutrition is strong because milk is their fundamental food. However, in the country we are going through a serious problem. That has nothing to do with the system or the governors. It is a humanistic problem, really humanistic, right?" said Manuel Riestra, a Cuban resident. According to a report by the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture, between August 2021 and February 2022, U.S. sanctions and blockade resulted in a loss of 271 million U.S. dollars to Cuba's agricultural sector. SHOTLIST: Havana, Cuba - Recent 1. Various of farmer Jose Sosa working; 2. Various of farmer ploughing with help of cattle; 3. Various of Sosa herding cattle with others; 4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jose Sosa, farmer (partially overlaid with shot 5): Juan Sosa, Cuban farmer "Right now I am using oxen as machinery. We have problems with the machinery because there is no fuel, no rubber, no parts and spare parts. And the other thing, as I said, since there are no fertilizers, we use organic matter to do things for pests. And we don't have the things to take care of, the resources we need to take care of the plantations. All these limitations have us exhausted."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 5. Various of Sosa spraying pesticides, plants, fruits; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 6. Cowshed; 7. Various of cattle grazing; 8. Various of milking equipment, worker milking; 9. Various of worker processing milk; 10. Various of people at farm produce market; 11. Various of farm produce on offer; 12. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Manuel Riestra, Cuban resident (starting with shot 11): Manuel Ristra, Cuban citizen "But nutrition depends on other, bigger things. Look at the clear examples we have with children's milk. What a great thing, babies' milk. In any country in the world, children's nutrition is strong because milk is their fundamental food. However, in the country we are going through a serious problem. That has nothing to do with the system or the governors. It is a humanistic problem, really humanistic, right?"; 13. Cattle cart on country road; 14. Various of farmers cutting crop stalks. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]