Pinar del Rio, October 16 (RHC) -– Tobacco planting in western Pinar del Rio will use over 15,900 hectares of land for the 2014-2015 campaign, 115 hectares more than last year, when the local production was well behind schedule particularly due to bad weather.

Tobacco leaf production in Pinar del Rio, the Cuban province considered as the cradle of tobacco, mostly lies on the shoulders of private farmers and cooperatives, who contribute over 90 percent of the national production.

The upcoming campaign will be backed by nearly 10 growers grouped in different cooperative modalities operating on the island.

The tobacco plantations in Pinar del Rio contribute the highly demanded cigars that Cuba exports to the world in different brands and shapes.