Cuban company keeps leadership in tobacco wrapper for exports

ARTEMISA, Cuba, Jan 19 (ACN) Everything ends well when it begins well, and appeals to science and determination; that is why the Lazaro Peña Tobacco Collection and Beneficiation Enterprise (EABT by its Spanish acronym), based in the western municipality of San Antonio de los Baños, maintains its leadership in the production of wrapper for export twisting.

Darelis Baez Albuernes, the deputy director, told the Cuban News Agency that the processing activity yielded 153 tons (t), 31 % of wrapper suitable for making exportable cigars, of all the tobacco collected.

That proportion not only exceeded the plan of 132.30 tons, but also turned out to be the highest in the last 12 years, she stressed.

In addition, 23 % of the wrapper obtained is from group 1, and 72 % from group 2, she revealed; therefore, almost all of the export wrapper will be used in the production of eighth and ninth category vitolas, the ones with the highest royalties.

The director mentioned that the production of dark wrapper was 96 % completed, and 22.22 tons of aged leaves were contributed to the tobacco industry, in order to manufacture Habanos from the maduro line and limited editions.

Baez Albuernes referred to other notable results, such as the total amount of de-stemmed branches, which amounted to 229.38 tons, much higher than the 199.25 tons planned.

She also praised the export of 137.26 tons, equivalent to 61 % of exportable classes of casing and capote.

For his part, Yavel Mas Falcon, EABT communicator, pointed out that the Basic Cooperative Production Unit (UBPC) Batalla de las Guasimas, located in San Antonio, is the largest producer of tobacco wrappers for export twisting in Cuba: almost half of its leaves were used for the manufacture of Havana cigars.
Also, the last areas have already been covered, so that Artemisa fulfilled the plan of planting 480 hectares (ha) planned for the 2023-2024 tobacco campaign, as a tribute to the youngest Cuban province, on its 13th anniversary, he concluded.