Cuba’s Tobacco is Protected From Heavy Rains

Considered Cuba's largest tobacco producer, Pinar del Río protects the tobacco harvested due to the proximity of heavy rains caused by low pressure in the western Caribbean.

The territorial delegate of Agriculture, Yoel Hernández, said that 18,000 tons of leaves are distributed in warehouses and selected from the different territories, while a little more than a thousand remain in natural cure houses with proven protection conditions belonging to farmers.

We have the necessary blankets to prevent water from damaging the leaves, Osvaldo Santana, representative of the Tabacuba business group in the western territory assured.

Each measure has been put into practice with time in advance and acts in accordance with the technical standards that tobacco demands for its conservation, Santana pointed out.

Given the impact of rainfall on local agriculture, food suitable for consumption is collected, irrigation of seedbeds is suspended and work is done on soil drainage to minimize damage to some extent.

However, it is also important to preserve the seeds of root vegetables and vegetables because this is a guarantee of future crops, Hernández noted.

The transfer of animals to high places is also another commitment assumed by farmers, aware that the geographical location of Pinar del Río makes the province a target for various hydrometeorological events.