Pinar del Rio, August 28 (RHC) -– The Cuban Communist Party's Second Secretary, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, during a visit to the famous Vuelta-bajo tobacco-leaf growing region in western Pinar del Rio province, said that Cuban tobacco is the best in the world. Consequently, he said, Cuba must increase production.

Machado Ventura, who also serves as one of the country's vice presidents, learned about ongoing preparations of the upcoming tobacco harvest for which almost 16,000 hectares of land have been dedicated.

Tobacco production has experienced a low over the past few years mainly due to lack of appropriate logistic work and other factors, such as the retirement of many tobacco cultivators.

But along with a permanent and stable market, the Cuban tobacco sector employs thousands of people in western Cuba; therefore its development depends on the sector's strengthening and growth.

The top Cuban official was accompanied by the First Communist Party Secretary in the province of Pinar del Rio, Gladys Martinez, and other local authorities.