Planting Underway

[El Presidente]

The below article is from a few months ago but it is a nice lead in to the planting that is currently underway. 

Fingers crossed that the 2019/20 crop will be a an absolute cracker. The 30 day weather forecast is fairly positive 

We need 6 -8 good weeks. 

 

 

 

Cuba readies for next tobacco harvest

The tobacco industry represents the fourth sector that contributes the most income to the island’s gross domestic product (GDP), and in 2018 export sales reached almost 260 million dollars.

 

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Cuba began the preparations for the next tobacco harvest in the western province of Pinar del Río, the largest producer and supplier of the aromatic leaf for making the island’s most famous cigar brands.

For the 2019-2020 season, a plan has been envisaged to plant 20,050 hectares in the tobacco plantations of Vueltabajo, considered the most important region for the cultivation of tobacco in Pinar del Río, with around 65% of the country’s production.

The new harvest is underway with the preparation of the land, soil improvement, the location of the seedbed areas, while the beginning of seedbed irrigation is scheduled for the end of next August, as reported this Wednesday by the Cuban News Agency (ACN).

Among the varieties to be planted are Habana 92, Corojo 2006 and 2012, Criollo 2010 and Virginia 22, 23 and 24, mainly for a cigarette factory in the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM), Cuba’s star project to attract foreign investment.

Experienced tobacco farmers in Pinar del Río are building houses to cure tobacco leaves. So far they have already completed about 2,340, and others are in different building stages and also under repair.

Cuba harvested more than 30,000 tons of tobacco for the second consecutive year in 2018, when about 300 million hand-rolled cigars were produced on the island, almost 100 million of them for export; as well as more than 130 million machine rolled and 14,000 million cigarettes.

The tobacco industry represents the fourth sector that contributes the most income to Cuba’s gross domestic product (GDP), and export sales in 2018 reached almost 260 million dollars.

The sector employs about 200,000 workers on the island, with up to 250,000 at the peak of the harvest.

Specialists in this area of the Cuban economy highlight that factors determining its quality are combined on the island, such as climate, soil and the experience of its producers.

[Connoisseur Kim]

I'm surprised that Criollo is still being planted in Cuba! I didn't noticed that HSA plants not only Corojo (old and new strains) but also other tobacco (Habana 92, Viriginia 22 23 and 24) as well!
What is the mainstream cigar tobacco being used in Cuba nowadays ?? I saw Cuba was developing the brand new cigar tobacco called Corojo 2012 on FOH two years ago...

 

[CaptainQuintero]

1 hour ago, LonesomeHabanoAficionado said:

I'm surprised that Criollo is still being planted in Cuba! I didn't noticed that HSA plants not only Corojo (old and new strains) but also other tobacco (Habana 92, Viriginia 22 23 and 24) as well!
What is the mainstream cigar tobacco being used in Cuba nowadays ?? I saw Cuba was developing the brand new cigar tobacco called Corojo 2012 on FOH two years ago...

 

  I think I read somewhere that some farmers if they are in a private collective can choose what seed they plant, if the harvest fails it's on their head.

[Connoisseur Kim]

1 minute ago, CaptainQuintero said:

  I think I read somewhere that some farmers if they are in a private collective can choose what seed they plant, if the harvest fails it's on their head.

Thanks! Surprised to hear that Cuban Vegueros in private collective can grow any cigar tobacco whatever they want!

[Hotboxx]

I would trade the absolute worst weather imaginable here for nice weather in Cuba during growing season. I'm in California so that would be lows in the 30's , highs only in the 50's , winds howling 15 mph , and some rain maybe 2-3 times a week. Horror show but I'd endure it . Need this crop to be a ball buster so in 2023ish I can snag me some Behikes on 2424. 

[CaptainQuintero]

43 minutes ago, LonesomeHabanoAficionado said:

Thanks! Surprised to hear that Cuban Vegueros in private collective can grow any cigar tobacco whatever they want!

  It might just have been a mix of things I've heard/read so don't take it for gospel until someone trustworthy turns up! 

[Connoisseur Kim]

43 minutes ago, Hotboxx said:

I would trade the absolute worst weather imaginable here for nice weather in Cuba during growing season. I'm in California so that would be lows in the 30's , highs only in the 50's , winds howling 15 mph , and some rain maybe 2-3 times a week. Horror show but I'd endure it . Need this crop to be a ball buster so in 2023ish I can snag me some Behikes on 2424. 

Hope that weather won't destroy cigar tobacco crop in this time!

22 minutes ago, CaptainQuintero said:

  It might just have been a mix of things I've heard/read so don't take it for gospel until someone trustworthy turns up! 

Much appreciated !

[El Presidente]

8 hours ago, LonesomeHabanoAficionado said:

I'm surprised that Criollo is still being planted in Cuba! I didn't noticed that HSA plants not only Corojo (old and new strains) but also other tobacco (Habana 92, Viriginia 22 23 and 24) as well!
What is the mainstream cigar tobacco being used in Cuba nowadays ?? I saw Cuba was developing the brand new cigar tobacco called Corojo 2012 on FOH two years ago...

 

They run 5-6 tobacco strains at any one time. More if you include cigarette tobacco (Virginia). 

Each strain has a run for an average of 6-7 years unless it is an absolute fail. However the strains are staggered...ie a new one is introduced when another has reached the end of its longevity (5-7 years). 

Disease is the biggest threat to a tobacco plant and it is important to stay a few steps ahead.  

[Connoisseur Kim]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

They run 5-6 tobacco strains at any one time. More if you include cigarette tobacco (Virginia). 

Each strain has a run for an average of 6-7 years unless it is an absolute fail. However the strains are staggered...ie a new one is introduced when another has reached the end of its longevity (5-7 years). 

Disease is the biggest threat to a tobacco plant and it is important to stay a few steps ahead.  

Much appreciate El Pres! I'm surprised to hear that HSA grows 5-6 tobacco strains, each strain has some kinda life span until new strain is developed! Now, I can see why sometimes HSA combines cigar and cigarette tobaccos into new strain when disease happens ?

[NSXCIGAR]

So interesting that there's absolutely no info on the 19 harvest. Even this article skips back to praising the 17 and 18 harvests. Weather was great for 18-19 and it was reported a record 31,000+ hectares were planned for 19. Visitors reported positive observations throughout the season. Yet no reports of any kind about yields from anyone unlike 17 and 18. What gives?

[earthson]

On 11/4/2019 at 9:34 PM, LonesomeHabanoAficionado said:

Thanks! Surprised to hear that Cuban Vegueros in private collective can grow any cigar tobacco whatever they want!

The farmers (and their management) know the land, strains and how to mitigate risk best.  The upper management just wants great tobacco available by the truckload, so they give the wiggle room.  At least until biotech gets their damned mitts in it and sends it south for decades.

4 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

So interesting that there's absolutely no info on the 19 harvest. Even this article skips back to praising the 17 and 18 harvests. Weather was great for 18-19 and it was reported a record 31,000+ hectares were planned for 19. Visitors reported positive observations throughout the season. Yet no reports of any kind about yields from anyone unlike 17 and 18. What gives?

I'm predicting lots of volado to girth up the new releases.

[NSXCIGAR]

1 minute ago, earthson said:

I'm predicting lots of volado to girth up the new releases.

That's been going on for years and it's not as bad as it was nor as bad as I though it would be. When you have quality volado, it can work. Quality leaf lifts all boats and primings. 

I also seem to be seeing more sub-52 RG releases in the last year or two. I think maybe there's going to be a swing back for a while. Either way, I am looking forward to the next 12 months when we start seeing 18 seco and 17 ligero in the same cigars.

[earthson]

1 minute ago, NSXCIGAR said:

That's been going on for years and it's not as bad as it was nor as bad as I though it would be. When you have quality volado, it can work. Quality leaf lifts all boats and primings. 

I also seem to be seeing more sub-52 RG releases in the last year or two. I think maybe there's going to be a swing back for a while. Either way, I am looking forward to the next 12 months when we start seeing 18 seco and 17 ligero in the same cigars.

So we'll be getting some new/old sub 36 RG cigars again soon?  Fantastic!  I'll wait patiently for the panetela revival!  I'll take a pre-order of 3 boxes of MdO 3 and 2 boxes of any new ERDM, please.

[NSXCIGAR]

2 minutes ago, earthson said:

So we'll be getting some new/old sub 36 RG cigars again soon?  Fantastic!  I'll wait patiently for the panetela revival!  I'll take a pre-order of 3 boxes of MdO 3 and 2 boxes of any new ERDM, please.

ERDM La Reina is out...

But I said sub-52, not sub-42. 

In fact, 5 of the last 6 ELs have been sub-52 and about half of the 17 & 18 ERs have been 52 or less. Hoping this is the beginning of a trend.

[helix]

Have a bundle of La Reina EL's from Johnny O . Beautiful looking sticks , tried one ROTT was very tasty. 

[Connoisseur Kim]

8 hours ago, earthson said:

The farmers (and their management) know the land, strains and how to mitigate risk best.  The upper management just wants great tobacco available by the truckload, so they give the wiggle room.  At least until biotech gets their damned mitts in it and sends it south for decades.

Much appreciated! I can see how cigar farms like Robaina Cigar Farm grows different strains of tobacco ?!

[garbandz]

" Yet no reports of any kind about yields from anyone unlike 17 and 18. What gives? "

 

I hear they sold a lot of it to Russia.......... ..

[earthson]

On 11/6/2019 at 9:59 PM, NSXCIGAR said:

ERDM La Reina is out...

But I said sub-52, not sub-42. 

In fact, 5 of the last 6 ELs have been sub-52 and about half of the 17 & 18 ERs have been 52 or less. Hoping this is the beginning of a trend.

EL?  RE?  Pass!

[NSXCIGAR]

15 hours ago, earthson said:

EL?  RE?  Pass!

Well, the 42 RG Party Capitols and the RyJ Club Kings should be coming any day now! 

I think sub-40 new regular production is a thing of the past. 

[earthson]

On 11/9/2019 at 12:46 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

Well, the 42 RG Party Capitols and the RyJ Club Kings should be coming any day now! 

I think sub-40 new regular production is a thing of the past. 

I hope they do release them and soon.  If there's one thing we need, it's more Partagas and RyJ Petit Coronas.  Soon happy they got rid of that pesky HUPC.

I think we'll get a couple new skinnies if it ever falls into fashion again.