Cuban tobacco harvest increases despite drought

[El Presidente]

IANS August 19, 2015 Last Updated at 09:18 IST

http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/cuban-tobacco-harvest-increases-despite-drought-115081900116_1.html

Havana, Aug 19 (IANS/EFE) The tobacco harvest in Vueltabajo, Cuba's main region for the production of the leaf, increased by 3,400 tonnes over last year despite a nationwide drought, media reported.

Industry leaders in Vueltabajo, located in the western province of Pinar del Rio, said 16,204 tonnes of tobacco have been harvested so far and that the total might increase by 100 tonnes in the coming days, Communist Party daily Granma said on Tuesday.

With some 16,000 hectares (35,500 acres) under cultivation, the 2014-2015 campaign "signals the beginning of the tobacco recovery" in Cuba, the article said, while acknowledging the impact of the country's worst drought in 115 years.

Pinal del Rio accounts for roughly 70 percent of Cuba's tobacco production and most of the varieties used in the manufacture of emblematic hand-rolled Havana cigars.

Despite the critical lack of rain, an additional 1,000 hectares are expected to be planted with tobacco for the 2015-2016 campaign.

The tobacco sector is Cuba's fourth-largest revenue generator and employs roughly 150,000 people on a regular basis, though the workforce can swell to 250,000 at the peak of the harvest.

[Rye]

Interesting. I'd love to know how the quality of leaf is, and if that is more seco/volado vs. wrapper

[MrGTO]

Drought = growth?

[garbandz]

obviously there is irrigation.lots of work to do that.

Remember that little town in the California desert?........Los Angeles...............

[MrGTO]

obviously there is irrigation.lots of work to do that.

Remember that little town in the California desert?........Los Angeles...............

Who does Cuba get (take) their water from like Southern CA does from Northern CA? I've lived in California ( where all SoCals water comes from) so yes I know the town, but the Central Valley is were the agricultural area is. LA doesnt grow anything except smog.

Do they have desalinization plants in Cuba or do people go without water so tobacco can have water? Do they have federal resevours like we do here?

I should have asked those questions instead of what I typed earlier........................................

[maxcjs0101]

If im not mistaken, they do have water reservoirs.

Anyway, thats positive news but quality of the leaf remains to be known..

[Upgrayedd]

I found some presentation slides about water management in Cuba for those wondering about reservoirs and dams:

http://www.ianas.org/meetings_water/files/Presentation_water_Cuba.pdf

[Fosgate]

Rain is not always good for crops. In western South Dakota I talk to farmers and ranchers that have never seen it so green this late in the year their entire lives. Record rainfalls have got some record yields in some areas IF they can get it out of the fields. Right now the stuff is not drying out with the constant rain while others have experienced a lot of damage from wind/hail.

[MrGTO]

I hear you, too much rain is always bad as well as too little rain. Here in TN too much rain has washed out entire single season of agriculture. I am just curious since it's not a huge island what their resourse reserves are. I know a year drought vs a multi year drought on a small land mass with no external sources of water make a huge difference on agriculture. Here in the states rivers make it easier state to state on irrigation efforts. I live in the land of TVA.

[airtrade]

Maybe it will turn out like grapes.

Less rain equals more flavor?

[Fosgate]

Maybe it will turn out like grapes.

Less rain equals more flavor?

Or hot peppers. Cut off the water as soon as fruit starts to grow and the hotter they get.

[airtrade]

Or hot peppers. Cut off the water as soon as fruit starts to grow and the hotter they get.

Yeah same idea. Not sure if that carries over to tobacco though.

[bbguardsp]

Tobacco loves sunlight. A drought is great as long as they have adequate water. The farmers can then measure and supply the amount of water irrigated perfectly.

[Ryan]

Yeah same idea. Not sure if that carries over to tobacco though.

There was an interview done with Cuban tobacco farmer Hector Luis Prieto.

It's in the thread below.

From about 11 minutes in, he discusses how it is stress from bad soil that makes Cuban tobacco different to tobacco from other countries, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua etc. Pinar del Rio has very deep sandy soil, not volcanic. It drains very well, causing water stress in the plants because they have to work harder to find water.

So some water stress is good for the plants regarding tobacco quality.

I know the fields are irrigated too. Hector uses a river that runs through his land, a pump and lengths of flexible plastic pipes.

As for year long, or years long, drought, I don't know.

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=114755&hl=prieto

As for reservoirs. They do exist in Cuba and they look like reservoirs everywhere else. There is one visible from the road just outside Havana on the way to Pinar del Rio.

Cuba has plenty of rivers too. The Almendares running through Havana provides some of Havana's water. I buy bottled water.

I've never heard of desalination plants in Cuba, although Cuba isn't desert, the annual rainfall there is similar to Ireland's, when there isn't drought.