Cuba's tobacco crop bigger and better in 2018, officials say

Описание: (1 Mar 2018) Growing yields and better quality tobacco has given Cuban farmers and cigar producers one of their best years ever, leading to 12 percent growth and almost 500 million US dollars in revenue, according to government and company officials, one of the few bright spots in the islands struggling economy.
Habanos S.A., the Cuban Government company that controls cigar sales around the world, says its product line has benefited from greater world demand, especially in China, and a bumper crop and better quality yield from tobacco farmers around the island.
In Pinar del Rio province, 160 kilometers west of Havana, where much of the island's tobacco is grown, farmers say a favorable climate has provided them with bigger yields and a higher quality tobacco, and expect 2018 to be even better.
49 year-old Carlos Luis Marrero cultivates 5 hectares of tobacco on his farm in Pinar del Rio. He says the quality of his tobacco has never been better, the result of less rain and a mild winter and expects his crop to exceed last year's by a wide margin.
Marrero says he sells his crop to a government cooperative at a fixed price, but expects to his income to increase slightly because of higher yields.
Buyers of Cuban tobacco products from 50 countries are on the island looking at the latest products from Habanos S.A. and making deals for finished hand-rolled Cuban cigars at an annual trade fair showcasing Cuba's famous stogies.
Government and company officials say growing world demand has given the Cuban tobacco industry one of its best years in 2017, and expect the trend to continue to be positive going forward.

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