Pinar del Rio, October 12 (RHC)-- Tobacco growers in the Vuelta Abajo region, in western Pinar del Rio, have begun the planting season of the famous Cuban product.

Over 17,000 hectares of lands will be planted with local tobacco variety at private and state farms during the season in the area known as "The Cradle of Cuban Tobacco," said the sector’s director Enrique Cruz.

This year, the planting season begins earlier in an effort to counter the effects of the severe drought affecting the western territory, said Cruz. The western province of Pinar del Rio contributes all the material for cigar filler material for the famous Habanos, and workers in the territory are pushing themselves to increase the yield and quality of the tobacco leaves.