Five Actions to Increase Tobacco Production and Earnings in Cuba

[El Presidente]

Excellent piece from Havana Times. 

 

 

https://havanatimes.org/diaries/osmelramirez/five-actions-to-increase-tobacco-production-and-earnings-in-cuba/

Five Actions to Increase Tobacco Production and Earnings in Cuba

 June 5, 2020

By Osmel Ramirez

 

HAVANA TIMES – Every year, we celebrate Tobacco Workers’ Day in Cuba on May 29th. These workers include the tabaqueros who roll cigars and the tabacalero who produce the tobacco and cure it in the drying shacks, or at least this is the distinction we have here in Mayari.

It falls on the birthday of Lazaro Pena, who was a tobacco roller, among many other things; and he led the union of this sector, where he stood out for holding union positions at a national and international level.

Cuba has virtuous soil for its cultivation and a long-standing tradition, which makes it widely accepted on the market. Our history is inescapably tied to tobacco; ever since the time of the indigenous populations, who sewed and smoked it, up until the habanos or cigars we smoke today, which are famous for their quality and glamour appeal.

We have dominated the international market outside of the US, but it is precisely that country, with the largest potential market for the most expensive premium cigars, where we aren’t selling our product because of the embargo restrictions.

Countries like the Dominican Republic have been able to take advantage of the embargo to expand their sales. Without a lot of investment in publicity, the Habano is almost as famous as Coca Cola, and its quality linked to the virtues of this land for its cultivation, has been its best marketing strategy.

I live in an excellent area for tobacco farming. It is the main crop at the cooperative I belong to, which is a Credit and Services cooperative, which means that farmers are individuals, who each own their own plot of land. It is an intensive, short life-cycle crop that requires a great deal of attention and expertise.

Quality tobacco can’t be grown everywhere, not even here in this municipality. It only grows well in the areas that are near rivers and streams, but especially in the valley of the Mayari River. These tobacco plantations in the valley are some of the best in all of Cuba. I’d dare to say that they compete with the Vueltabajo, Pinar del Rio, lands but I admit that they have better lowland farmers.

Increasing tobacco production is a national priority, and it has indeed grown a lot. But it could increase a lot more, not only in the number of plants grown but also in efficiency and quality, with the same amount planted. Maybe the most important thing for a cooperative board member is to exceed the number of plants grown, but quality and revenue should be a lot more important.

Few people know this, but you can harvest the tobacco plant in different ways and normally only one method is used. Many also don’t know that loans for cultivation sometimes don’t come until the season is ending; or fertilizer and pesticides stay in warehouses and cooperatives don’t have the means to get and distribute them or they are just incompetent. Meanwhile, the farmers have no way of getting access to them otherwise.

On the other hand, the most innovative and viable methods are written in handbooks, but they aren’t used because people don’t read and trust them; there are farmers with really successful techniques next to others who are unaware of which is the best way to cultivate the plant. Also, the current pricing policies for the type of leaves and quality do not sufficiently encourage maximum productivity.

Therefore, as a citizen journalist and tobacco farmer, I would go out on a limb and recommend five points or actions that could help to increase production and revenue (by at least 25%) in the tobacco industry, with the same area planted. For both the State company and farmers.

1. The State’s tobacco company should be responsible for distributing fertilizer and pesticide to cooperatives, and then the cooperative responsible for selling it to its member farmers.
2. Loans should be available before August 31st, the latest we can start preparing the land, under penalty of inescapable fines for bank officials. Likewise, the process for applying for a loan should be a lot simpler.
3. Increasing the maximum price of tobacco leaves for national consumption ‘sol palo” to 3000 pesos for a quintal (100 lbs). and a minimum of 1000 pesos, depending on the quality.
4. Increasing the price of the “capadura” (the leaves harvested from the plant after the first cut) to between 750 pesos and 2000 pesos, depending on the quality.
5. Carry out “farming extension” actions, organizing days in the field where farmers can see the advantages of new farming techniques on the ground, as well as new varieties or the work habits of the most successful farmers.

I firmly believe that with these simple and inexpensive measures tobacco production could be increased, which generates large dividends. Today the country produces just over 30 thousand tons of tobacco and with the same resources well used it could exceed 35 thousand tons. Although the potential we have is much higher.

[Bagman]

Interesting read, thanks.  Has there been any mention on this years crop in general?  I know they got a late start and levels were anticipated to be lower.  The weather seemed quite good though.

[NSXCIGAR]

So, basically to maximize production he wants Cuba to stop being Cuba. Yes, I think that might help just a little bit.

[jvd1291]

I wish the US embargo would end. Someday I hope to see US and Cuba relations improved.

[Islandboy]

Yeah, I have no context to comment on items 3 and 4, but items 1, 2 & 5 seem like things you learn in farming 101. 

[NSXCIGAR]

14 minutes ago, Monterey said:

Interesting read, thanks.  Has there been any mention on this years crop in general?  I know they got a late start and levels were anticipated to be lower.  The weather seemed quite good though.

I believe there have been rumblings that everyone is happy with the 20 crop. The 19 crop success wasn't confirmed until late last year and only in a subdued way. Takes a while for confirmation of that but based on weather and reports on the ground it was successful. 

4 solid crops in a row is a once a century event. We have been blessed by the tobacco gods and the next few years we should appreciate greatly.

Cuba does everything it can to hide any success and are extremely vocal when things go wrong. Only when it's undeniable do they admit anything is above horrible.

[nKostyan]

He suggests that as a result, it is more expensive to grow and sell - this is the personal interest of the farmer. But Cuba now has no problems with tobacco, other than a shortage of wrappers. 
Increasing the volume and quality of the wrapper - that's what they need to think about

[Nino]

22 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Therefore, as a citizen journalist and tobacco farmer, I would go out on a limb and recommend five points or actions that could help to increase production and revenue (by at least 25%) in the tobacco industry, with the same area planted. For both the State company and farmers.

1. The State’s tobacco company should be responsible for distributing fertilizer and pesticide to cooperatives, and then the cooperative responsible for selling it to its member farmers.
2. Loans should be available before August 31st, the latest we can start preparing the land, under penalty of inescapable fines for bank officials. Likewise, the process for applying for a loan should be a lot simpler.
3. Increasing the maximum price of tobacco leaves for national consumption ‘sol palo” to 3000 pesos for a quintal (100 lbs). and a minimum of 1000 pesos, depending on the quality.
4. Increasing the price of the “capadura” (the leaves harvested from the plant after the first cut) to between 750 pesos and 2000 pesos, depending on the quality.
5. Carry out “farming extension” actions, organizing days in the field where farmers can see the advantages of new farming techniques on the ground, as well as new varieties or the work habits of the most successful farmers.

A simple smoker here.

Loyal to my KISS principle I'd go out on a limb here and suggest HSA/Tabacuba stops blaming everybody and his grandma for their failures and just privatize the whole damm show.

Let the farmers do what they have been doing last 400 years, pay them fairly or let them set prices and stop the state intervention BS.

It is the system that doesn't work - not the farmers FFS !

I'm quite certain it would work out.

[StogieSteve23]

19 minutes ago, nino said:

A simple smoker here.

Loyal to my KISS principle I'd go out on a limb here and suggest HSA/Tabacuba stops blaming everybody and his grandma for their failures and just privatize the whole damm show.

Let the farmers do what they have been doing last 400 years, pay them fairly or let them set prices and stop the state intervention BS.

It is the system that doesn't work - not the farmers FFS !

I'm quite certain it would work out.

KISS is probably the best motto you can use for a lot of things.  One of my long time baseball/hitting coaches growing up would always say this to people. It would and still does resonate exponentially with me.  We as humans tend to overthink things so this is a good way of keeping yourself in check. 

[NSXCIGAR]

9 hours ago, nino said:

Let the farmers do what they have been doing last 400 years, pay them fairly or let them set prices and stop the state intervention BS.

If the farmers were paid "fairly" they'd be making millions per year.

Tabacuba preys on the pride of those vegueros that consider tobacco to be their namesake and calling. They pay them the bare minimum to keep them from planting other crops or having their land expropriated while demanding nothing but the highest of quality.

For a system that purports to revile exploitation of labor they seem to be the most effective at practicing it.