Record Harvest in Las Tunas, Cuba

Source from:  tobaccoreporter.com Monday, March 20, 2006 03/21/2006

Growers in Cuba's Las Tunas province are expected to harvest a record tobacco crop, reports the Cuban News Agency. Farmers have strung more than 272,000 poles with tobacco leaves, which is four percent above production targets. This represents nearly a third of the total harvest, which should be completed by the end of April. Romilio Lopez, assistant director of the Tobacco Company in Las Tunas, said that about 34,000 quintals of tobacco, or more than 1,500 tons, are expected to be harvested, surpassing the local production record set in 2001. Las Tunas has an overall area of more than 1,700 hectares of tobacco fields. The farmers have joined in a nationwide effort to increase tobacco production, and have planted at least 1,340 hectares each year since 2001. Las Tunas has also increased its production of cigars for domestic consumption, reaching 13 million units in 2005. Production is expected to reach more than 16 million this year. Enditem