Tobacco growers in Cuba's Pinar del Rio hope U.S. embargo is lifted

[El Presidente]

it isn't an easy life being a Tobacco farmer anywhere, let alone in Cuba.

http://www.local10.com/news/cuba-coast-to-coast/tobacco-growers-in-cubas-pinar-del-rio-hope-us-embargo-is-lifted/35959778

[Guest rob]

It's definitely a tough gig.

[BuckeyeSmoker]

Farming is insanely hard as is, but with no access to modern equipment that seems so tough. very interesting video/article, thanks for the share

[btp1979]

Pretty interesting. I wonder though if the current, albeit labor intensive techniques are part of what gives the tobacco its profile. I know everyone says its the Cuban soil, but if 70+ yrs of NPK have taught us anything, it's a slippery slope that boosts yields but will absolutely burn out the soils native characteristics. I see fields all the time where the soil is 100% dead, but if you pump enough NPK into it you can still get corn and beans to grow.

[CUBANO]

It's definitely a tough gig.

..and in Cuba little pay

[poloralf]

Intresting

[msm1771]

Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my 86" White Testarossa

[NSXCIGAR]

Pretty interesting. I wonder though if the current, albeit labor intensive techniques are part of what gives the tobacco its profile. I know everyone says its the Cuban soil, but if 70+ yrs of NPK have taught us anything, it's a slippery slope that boosts yields but will absolutely burn out the soils native characteristics. I see fields all the time where the soil is 100% dead, but if you pump enough NPK into it you can still get corn and beans to grow.

Interesting. I'm having trouble finding much information on NPK fertilizers' effects on soil over 25+ years, however the research I have found indicates that soil is much more productive after 20+ years of properly balanced NPK fertilization. Are you aware of any other research or data on this?

You mention soil becoming "burned out" but this differs in concept from your statement about the soil's "native characteristics" being changed by long-term fertilization which could affect something like the flavor of tobacco. Under that scenario yields would be fine or even better but the characteristics of the yield would differ.

This report shows that the trend in Cuba was to actually use more fertilizer per hectare of tobacco every season from 1997 to 2002. No data on whether this trend has continued. Some other articles note that the Cubans were using a great deal more fertilizer prior to the Soviets disappearing in 1989. Their organic "agroecology" movement began recently and involuntarily.

Are you aware of NC tobacco producers currently using these fertilizers? NC tobacco seems to have improved enormously over the past 25+ years. Have NPK fertilizers played a part in this?

IMO, even assuming NPK fertilizers did negatively impact crop characteristics over the long-term a state-owned farm would be much more likely to use them recklessly than a privately-owned farm. The incentives to benefit now at the expense of the future are much greater for the state.