Cigar News
SpecialsEcuador’s Rainy Season Spells Trouble for Premium Cigar Industry: Tobacco Shortages and Price Hikes Loom
Author: Inspector Y
Ecuador suffered from an extremely rainy season and it has wreaked havoc on the country’s agricultural industry, destroying many crops, including tobacco crops. This will lead to shortages of tobacco and price hikes for the tobacco from Ecuador, which is in high demand.
Even though Ecuador doesn’t have a cigar producing industry, unlike Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the country is a large player when it comes to producing tobacco for the premium cigar industry. Most of the Connecticut Shade, a lot of Sumatra, and many Habano wrappers come from the country. The natural cloud covers allow for shade-grown tobacco without cheesecloth that is used in other countries. Add the rich volcanic soil, and you have a perfect microclimate for premium tobacco.
Heavier and normal rain this spring wiped out a lot of the crop. The Ecuador Times talked about 8000 hectares of crop in April, but the heavy rains continues after that. The lower yield will affect the availability of the tobacco and especially smaller factories with less reserves will feel that. It could also create a domino effect, with other countries now trying to grow wrapper instead of filler and binder, creating shortages there.
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