Las Tunas Cigar production...a followup

[El Presidente]

About a month ago I posted the following story on Las Tunas. I promised to find out a little more information. First, the story posted.

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DTCuba.com

The eastern Cuban province of Las Tunas has increased cigar production to meet the growing demand from the international market.

According to statistics, one 1.5 million cigars were made from January to July 2007, and more than 2.5 million units might be produced this year.

Las Tunas, which is 670 kilometers east of Havana, is not a traditional cigar producer, but it has joined the national effort to increase exports since 2004.

Two million cigars were made last year, and the staff working in cigar factories is being trained to improve the quality of the product.

The cigar industry is a major hard-currency earner in Cuba’s economy, which produced an average of 178 million cigars a year from 2000 to 2004.

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Well our friend deepthroat from HSA did a little investigation for FOH and penned his thoughts.

Regarding Las Tunas subject, I must say that I ‘m opposed to the idea of growing more and more tobacco there, but the reality is that nearly 8% of the fillers for export are grown there. There are not bad at all after the classification they are submitted to but many are used for cigarettes and less for cigars for national consumption which I call Mad dogs and I love them for specific moments. These Mad dogs are not made with high-quality material considering they are addressed at us Cubans, they are strong and rather acid due to a quick fermentation and they lack of the finesse of the aroma so characteristic of their cousins from Havana or Vuelta Abajo (even the Villa Clara ones) because of the soil they were planted.

First fact: Tabacuba business group started to expand the cigar cultivation in Las Tunas a decade ago as a part of an experiment. Even though tobacco was planted there in the 18th Century by the Spaniards it was the typical variety which Colombo first saw when he landed five centuries ago. Las Tunas is acknowledged for having medium quality leaf making a perfect deal for national consumption cigars and cigarettes. But some two-three years ago a powerful scattered-brain decided to plant tobacco for growing wrappers even though growers there were no expert in that area. They were trained, so they said and it was a challenge considering the second fact:

Second fact: It’s the second driest region in Cuba so many resources must have been spent in that enterprise. After several decades dedicated to cattle and sugar cane cultivation, tobacco was called to take over (let me remind you once again that the sun-grown tobacco for fillers and binders there is Tabaco de sol al palo which is picked using a little blade to cut the weed and then hung upside down outside the curing barn for air curing) This method is mostly used there and widely expanded through the Eastern provinces of Cuba (Las Tunas, Gramma, Holguin, Santiago and Guantanamo) and the leaf is aimed to producing cigarettes or cigars according to its quality. They also export that tobacco as fillers for other cigarette-producing countries in Central America like Mexico and also Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany). I know they started the wrapper cultivation with no more than 66 acres the first year. Next year they went for double, and the last thing I heard is that the quality is not the best but they needed time but they assumed that some of those leaves were good for export as wrappers for brands in the low segment such as Quintero or JL Piedra. The tobacco season is about to start and I heard that nearly 200 acres will be planted for growing wrappers. Let’s see.

Third fact: Las Tunas has one of the lowest rates of population per square km. The labor force is scarce and with the arrival of the tourism Industry, more people tend to look for a job at the Covarrubia Beaches or the National Park close to the shore.

Fourth fact: Las Tunas’s amount of leaf for cigars account for nearly 8% of the total produced in the province. That’s little while the huge rest goes for the 190 million and something local cigars (my beloved Mad dogs ) Cubans devour annually by not having the chance to taste the fine ones. I don’t know if there are more than two cigar factories in Las Tunas.

So you can have an idea of what is happening over here. Not so dramatic now that you have some explaining about it. Hope the experiment results in a way of learning things that shouldn’t be done but… who knows. Soils are different, climate is hotter, and no humidity levels that match, no enough water resources. Results: Damage in quality but I think they are envisioning a paradise for cigarettes more than cigars.

Well done deep throat

[Colt45]

» Damage in quality but I think they are envisioning a paradise for cigarettes more than cigars.

From the sound of this report, I hope so.

» Well done deep throat

I concur :-)

[smokum]

Friggin excellent info from this fellow Rob.

[Tampa1257]

Excellent information on several levels. The true quality of the leaf being unfit for anything other than Quientos or JL Piedra or actually better suited for Cigarettes. The European merchants that are buying bulk tobacco are receiving low grade tobacco at best and the quality will reflect in the cigars or cigarettes they produce. While this does not surprise me, the confirmation from "Deep Throat" provides me with the validity of my thoughts.

Great Info Rob and don't forget to give that man, "Deep Throat" a cigar! Maybe something better than a "Mad Dog"!

[El Presidente]

He does pretty well in the way of cigars

Keep in mind he was referring to wrapper for the Quintero and Jose Piedra. The filler which is used in export cigars must be graded and be determined to come up to scatch (meet minimum quality levels) to eventually find its way into export cigars. Which cigars they are used on is unknown but I doubt it would be top tier. Wrapper is not exported by Cuba and while it could be assumed dealers purchasing Cuban filler may indeed purchase some Las Tunas product, It cannot be conclusively stated that they are also not purchasing Vuelta Abajo filler. I am unsure as to how the system for export of filler to dealers works but that is an interesting question for another day.

[anacostiakat]

Very interesting. . .