Cuba Introduces Two New Tobacco Strains, Eyes New Cigar Tobacco

Cuba’s San Juan and Martinez Tobacco Experiment Station has developed two new cigarette varietals and is working towards new cigar tobaccos.

The report comes from Xinhua, the Chinese state press agency. The developed leaves are called Virginia San Luis 23 and Virginia San Luis 24, both of which will be used for the production of cigarettes.

These strands have been developed with help from Brazil in order to produce tobaccos resistant to a disease called wildfire, which has not spread to Cuba, but is a concern.

However, the report also mentions that the station, based in the famed Pinar del Rio province, is all working on two varietals for cigar tobacco.

This announcement comes shortly after a separate report from Sancti Spíritus, another growing region, which indicates that tobacco production in the area is up despite a drought.

The area is reporting 3,460 tons of tobacco, an increase of 200 tons, despite the fact that it lost 970 of 3,223 hectares, roughly 30 percent, due to the lack of rainfall.

While the Sancti Spiritus strand of tobacco is noted in cigars, largely because of its use by L’Atelier Imports, the actual region in Cuba is not known for growing cigar tobacco. Instead, the central Cuba area produces cigarette tobacco.

This year is believed to be a strong crop for Cuba overall, something the island desperately needs after consecutive years of poor harvests.