Havana, October 17 (RHC-ACN) -- Tobacco planting in western Pinar del Rio will employ over 15 thousand 900 hectares of land for the 2014-2015 campaign, 115 hectares more than last year, when the local production was way behind schedule, mainly due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Tobacco leaf production in Pinar del Rio, considered as the cradle of Cuban cigars, 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.

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