Cuba's Tobacco Industry Suffers Historic Crop Loss

Mar.24.2023
Cuba's Tobacco Industry Suffers Historic Crop Loss
Cuba's famed quality tobacco province, Viñales, faces worst harvest in history due to Hurricane Ian's devastation.

Cuban media is reporting that the province of Pinar del Rio, renowned for its high-quality tobacco, is currently facing its worst harvest in history.


It is expected that the tobacco production will face difficulties this year. Last fall, the province was severely affected by Hurricane "Ian", with most of the tobacco drying sheds being destroyed and houses and infrastructure being devastated.


According to a report from Yahoo, the state-owned Cuban newspaper "Granma" has stated that the planting season of 2022-2023 will be the "lowest yielding planting season in the history of the municipality of Bernaldrio.


According to the report, prior to the hurricane, the province hoped to plant 11,200 hectares, but the region will likely struggle to reach half of that target.


State-owned tobacco company Tabacuba has stated in a report that it will prioritize the highest quality crops to ensure that the crucial export sector has sufficient production.


Enrique Blanco, the agricultural director of Tabacuba, announced last month that the tobacco cultivation area has been reduced from the initial 15,000 hectares to 9,500 hectares this year. 2,100 hectares of high quality tobacco leaves will be grown under fabric cover in order to meet the country's export demand.


Reference:


Cuba is on track to experience its worst tobacco harvest ever.



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