Cuban Tobacco Growers in Final Harvest Phase

Source from:  Prensa Latina 05/30/2014

Tobacco harvest almost ending, the Vueltabajo growers fasten the picking of the leaves in the famous plantations of this region that contribute most of the inputs for the famous hand-rolled Cuban cigars, specialists confirmed today.

Harvest will conclude in the second half of June, after a long season in which growers overcame weather adversities in the crucial planting process, Master in Science Enrique Cruz, director of this sector.

Persistent rains forced growers to plant once and again the same field and this brought about delays in the calendar previously set, recalled the expert.

Until this date -he affirmed- growers collected over 20 million 800 thousand leave poles and it is estimated this amount will exceed 21 million, less than the plan originally established.

Despite the adversities, the Pinar del Rio farmers bet for the quality of leaves obtained in the farms of this western territory, ideal for the plant to combine climate, varieties and optimum soil.

Simultaneously, growers advance in the chores to benefit the leaves of capped tobacco -covered with nets- mostly of the Burley and Virginia varieties.

Pinar del Rio has been known as Vueltabajo and tributes 70 percent of the tobacco national production, as well as the leaves used to cover the demanded habano cigars.

Among the best farms in the area 140 kilometers west of Havana, stand out the farm El Pinar, where legendary grower Alejandro Robaina lived and Quemado de Rubi, property of young farmer Hector Luis Prieto, both distinguished with the title of Habano Man of the Year. Enditem