If Cubatabaco stopped the organic method

[nubchin]

If Cubatabaco stopped there organic method of growing tobacco , what is expected to change ?

If anyone bright in tobacco agriculture give some thoughts .

Thanks .

[Stalebread]

Is it grown "organically"?

I just assumed (I know, a bad practice) that they use manufactured fertilizers/chemicals to condition the soil and manufactured chemical fungicides, insecticides, etc., as needed. I don't know -- maybe domestic natural fertilizers, that is, horse and/or cow manure, are used.

Additionally, does the method vary from farm to farm, region to region?

Yes, let's hear from the guys who have been there and seen for themselves.

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[nubchin]

I had this question for a long time since in some period of time Cuba lacked any means of chemical fertilizers nor any thing from petrol but continued to produced tobacco .

I visited Vuelta Abajo in the mid 2000 and all farmers say that they are all grown organically , there fore the Tobacco Investigation Institute (Instituto de Investigasion de Tabaco) have a hard time (at least thats what I heard there ) breading cross breading hybridizing , but since I dont have a slight idea what soil is all about , was wondering if chemicals affect the production or the flavor and characteristics etc of a final cigar .

Anyone bright in this field ?

[cigcars]

There is a cigar manufacturer, Nestor Plasensa who has advertised "Organic Cigars" among his products. When I approached my local tobacconist about this he huffed, hawed, blustered, etc. because as he said, "They're ALL grown organically!" etc. In other words it's sun, time, tobacco, etc. and that this was nothing out of the ordinary as far as "organic cigars" because what else are they gonna be? I would guess fertilizers and so on that are used are approved and time tested for successful growing, etc. Just thought I'd share

[Ryan]

I was told in a curing barn in the Hoyo de Monterrey finca last year that chemical fertiilisers were used. How much and what type, they wouldn't elaborate.

I don't know much about farming and I know there is very good soil there for that part of the world but growing one or more crops of such a hungry plant in the same ground year after year takes more than fixing nitrogen with beans off season.

[Stalebread]

There is a cigar manufacturer, Nestor Plasensa who has advertised "Organic Cigars" among his products. When I approached my local tobacconist about this he huffed, hawed, blustered, etc. because as he said, "They're ALL grown organically!" etc. In other words it's sun, time, tobacco, etc. and that this was nothing out of the ordinary as far as "organic cigars" because what else are they gonna be? I would guess fertilizers and so on that are used are approved and time tested for successful growing, etc. Just thought I'd share

I think definitions and standards for what can be claimed to be grown organically are fuzzy at best and are probably issued by different organizations in different places.

There is a difference between saying a cigar is organic (it's not made out of synthetic material) and saying that the tobacco was grown organically. And just because (manufactured) fertilizers are approved and time tested for successful growing does not necessarily mean that they are acceptable for use in organic farming.

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[nubchin]

As to organic coffee and coffee grown with chemical fertilizers .Does coffee lovers taste the difference ?

[cigcars]

As to organic coffee and coffee grown with chemical fertilizers .Does coffee lovers taste the difference ?

The **** doesn't wake me up i.e. the organic coffee I didn't notice much difference in flavor or taste. But it may as well have been plain water. No wake-up caffein buzz at all

[gigabyte056]

According to what I know there is use of fertilizers, mostly natural but some contain added potassium , phosphorus, magnesium and nitrogen.

The above means that the growing methods are not organic, also some pesticides are used , mostly organic and also trap plants and such.

Tobacco is highly susceptible to insects and plagues, it is necessary to defend against it, but according to what I know most of the systems used are natural, only in extreme situations will a chemical be used.

Guy

[Stalebread]

. . . Tobacco is highly susceptible to insects and plagues, it is necessary to defend against it, but according to what I know most of the systems used are natural, only in extreme situations will a chemical be used.

Guy

I guess it would be ironic if they were using nicotine sulfate as a pesticide on tobacco plants.

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[nubchin]

So that puts there method not 100% organic ?

[CanuckSARTech]

No chemical pesticides are used. On any of my visits, I've only seen natural/organic fertilyzers being used (manure and compost and such), nothing chemical on the farms, and have been told that there's nothing chemical/artificial in use. Now, I thought that they used some added chemical nitrogen fertilyzer when growing the sprouts of the seedlings in the greenhouses and such, but not in the actual fields.

Who knows what the actual farmers decide to do. I know that H S.A. trumpets that everything is organic, natural, hand-done, etc., and nothing synthetic/artificial/chemical is added.