Cuba Slashes Tobacco Area

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 10/09/2009

Cuba is decreasing the amount of land devoted to growing tobacco by more than 30 percent in response to the global recession and the spread of smoking restrictions, reports Reuters. Demand for Cuban cigars fell 3 percent in 2008, and was expected to decline by another 15 percent in 2009. Cuba's National Statistics Office said the land to be planted with tobacco for next year's crop had dropped to 19,800 hectares, down from 28,200 hectares this year. It said the coming crop was expected to be 22,500 tons, compared with a planned 26,800 tons. Cuban cigar brands account for 70 percent of the world's premium cigar market. Enditem