Cuban Tobacco Growers in Final Harvest Phase

[El Presidente]

It is bloody late in the season

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2734721&Itemid=1

[galtline]

is that bad

[Dbone]

Is this a good or bad thing? Or just different

[El Presidente]

Simply not the ideal/normal.

generally it is all wrapped up by early March.

[Trimming]

Be interesting to see what it does for the profile pos. or neg.

[Bclass1]

Will this push production releases passed Jan/Feb of next year? Meaning, will they not be releasing cigars in the early months of the year (2015) because of this..just curious.

[PapaDisco]

What are the harvesting phases? Do they pick all of the plant at once, or top leaves and then come back for the lower?

[Trent0341]

I would assume we would not see the affects of this for quite sometime due to the aging process and current stockpile of tobacco.

[Ryan]

What are the harvesting phases? Do they pick all of the plant at once, or top leaves and then come back for the lower?

The lowest leaves are picked first, mañanitas, then up from there, Libre de pie etc. leaves are picked in pairs with a few days between pickings to let the plant recover.

Late plantings happen quite often. Hector Luis Prieto's neighbour was planting in late February last year, for picking around now. Hoyo de Monterrey was planting in late February, some of the fields, in 2010.

I would be very surprised if anyone here, including me of course, could recognize a difference in flavor. Once difference would be that the tobacco would be curing in the barns at a higher temperature and humidity, June rather than feb/mar. Also higher temps and humidity in the field increase the risk of fungus on the plants, which can linger to affect the next harvest.

The main problem that planting this late would present is that the field will have three months less time to recover before the next planting. Also if there have been other failed plantings earlier in the season, the soil has been worked quite hard.

I'd imagine the seasonal labourers are happy enough though.

[El Presidente]

The lowest leaves are picked first, mañanitas, then up from there, Libre de pie etc. leaves are picked in pairs with a few days between pickings to let the plant recover.

Late plantings happen quite often. Hector Luis Prieto's neighbour was planting in late February last year, for picking around now. Hoyo de Monterrey was planting in late February, some of the fields, in 2010.

I would be very surprised if anyone here, including me of course, could recognize a difference in flavor. Once difference would be that the tobacco would be curing in the barns at a higher temperature and humidity, June rather than feb/mar. Also higher temps and humidity in the field increase the risk of fungus on the plants, which can linger to affect the next harvest.

The main problem that planting this late would present is that the field will have three months less time to recover before the next planting. Also if there have been other failed plantings earlier in the season, the soil has been worked quite hard.

I'd imagine the seasonal labourers are happy enough though.

Cheers Ryan

Is it fair to say that to plant March the finca needs adjoining or underground water which rules out a significant number of farmers?

[El Presidente]

Will this push production releases passed Jan/Feb of next year? Meaning, will they not be releasing cigars in the early months of the year (2015) because of this..just curious.

no relevance whatsoever.

5 year stockpile of filler is held. Wrapper for this year is predominantly 2012/13 crop.