storms in cuba - update

[Ken Gargett]

with rob away, thought i should provide an update from our mate in cuba. he has also provided an update on the DR.

Nothing happened in Central and Western provinces, just rain every two hours for almost three weeks. October has been way too rainy compared to the last five years.

This bloody storm has flooded the tobacco regions in the East (Holguín , Las Tunas, Camaguey and Granma) so planting out has not started yet. These rains have caused nothing but a 30-day delay in the harvest due to the impossibility of planting out. Growers in Pinar are facing asimilar situation but not so dramatic. I spoke with Robaina the other day and the old man told me he is starting to notice the growing of some fish scales instead of skin. Lots of water, mate.

DR is facing out some problems due to flooding, mostly in General Cigar fields and Chateau de la Fuente where the Fuente family grows tobacco for wrappers. The storm caught them unaware and they have reportedly 81 people dead along the country. It’s sad.

See the news below:

Tropical Storm Noel soaked the Dominican Republic yesterday with drenching rains, killing an estimated 20 people and rendering thousands homeless as rivers overflowed throughout the country. The rains were particularly strong between Santo Domingo and Bonao, the latter an area where Dominican wrapper tobacco is grown.

The storm dropped as much as 30 inches of rain on the island of Hispaniola, according to Weather.com. The downpours swamped Chateau de la Fuente, the farm in Bonao where Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. grows wrapper for its Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars.

"Chateau de la Fuente is flooded -- I can't even get there," said Carlos Fuente Jr., president of Tabacalera A. Fuente. There was no tobacco in the ground, or in seedbeds, so no tobacco has been lost, but the complete damage is unable to determine at this time. "Trees are down at the entrance. There is no access to the farm. We could lose the farm. I don't know if we will be able to plant or not."

Fuente lets his Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars age for one year before releasing them, but he is loathe to ship what can't be replaced. "If I can't produce [cigars]," he said, "I can't release."

The storm had been forecast to hit Haiti, but it made an unexpected move and instead made landfall in the Dominican Republic, catching some unaware. The storm had minimal winds but soaking rains, and overflowing rivers. Fuente said the Rio Yuna, which abuts the main portion of the farm, overflowed, turning his tobacco fields into what resembles a lake.

Despite the troubles, Fuente expressed concern for those in the Dominican affected by the storm. "It would be very selfish to think about the future of Chateau de la Fuente with so many people losing their homes," he said.

General Cigar Co., also grows tobacco in the Bonao region, and Cigar Aficionado Online was awaiting comment from the company to see what, if any, impact the storm had on its properties.

As this story was posted, Noel was over central Cuba. It was expected to turn north and then east, where it could strengthen over water.

[Colt45]

Wine expert, cigar aficionado, fly fisherman not-so-extraordinaire (bending a rule here), and now meteorologist.

Ken, you are a renaissance man (or is it rain man......).

[tigger]

Interesting info Ken, thanks.

Hope things dry out soon.

[anacostiakat]

From CF:

Tropical Storm Floods Dominican Republic

Posted: Tuesday, October 30, 2007

By David Savona

Tropical Storm Noel soaked the Dominican Republic yesterday with drenching rains, killing an estimated 20 people and rendering thousands homeless as rivers overflowed throughout the country. The rains were particularly strong between Santo Domingo and Bonao, the latter an area where Dominican wrapper tobacco is grown.

The storm dropped as much as 30 inches of rain on the island of Hispaniola, according to Weather.com. The downpours swamped Chateau de la Fuente, the farm in Bonao where Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. grows wrapper for its Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars.

"Chateau de la Fuente is flooded -- I can't even get there," said Carlos Fuente Jr., president of Tabacalera A. Fuente. There was no tobacco in the ground, or in seedbeds, so no tobacco has been lost, but the complete damage is unable to determine at this time. "Trees are down at the entrance. There is no access to the farm. We could lose the farm. I don't know if we will be able to plant or not."

Fuente lets his Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars age for one year before releasing them, but he is loathe to ship what can't be replaced. "If I can't produce [cigars]," he said, "I can't release."

The storm had been forecast to hit Haiti, but it made an unexpected move and instead made landfall in the Dominican Republic, catching some unaware. The storm had minimal winds but soaking rains, and overflowing rivers. Fuente said the Rio Yuna, which abuts the main portion of the farm, overflowed, turning his tobacco fields into what resembles a lake.

Despite the troubles, Fuente expressed concern for those in the Dominican affected by the storm. "It would be very selfish to think about the future of Chateau de la Fuente with so many people losing their homes," he said.

General Cigar Co., also grows tobacco in the Bonao region, and Cigar Aficionado Online was awaiting comment from the company to see what, if any, impact the storm had on its properties.

As this story was posted, Noel was over central Cuba. It was expected to turn north and then east, where it could strengthen over water.

[Claudius]

So, regarding the Vuelta Abajo, there's only a delay of a month, or could this affect things in a serious way, ie not enough leaves in 1 - 2 years?

[El Presidente]

» So, regarding the Vuelta Abajo, there's only a delay of a month, or could

» this affect things in a serious way, ie not enough leaves in 1 - 2 years?

As long as there is no follow up rains of substance in the next 4 months it should allow them to get in a full crop.

Some of the farmers do a second crop for cigarette tobacco and this will be affected because they may run out of time.

[wp2]

Great info, thanks Ken

[aavkk]

» » So, regarding the Vuelta Abajo, there's only a delay of a month, or

» could

» » this affect things in a serious way, ie not enough leaves in 1 - 2

» years?

»

» As long as there is no follow up rains of substance in the next 4 months

» it should allow them to get in a full crop.

»

» Some of the farmers do a second crop for cigarette tobacco and this will

» be affected because they may run out of time.

cigarettes??? It should be a crime to use that soil for cigarettes.