18 



THE CUBA RE V 1 E W' 



TOBACCO EXPORTATION AND CONSUMPTION IN CUBA 



Figures showing the exportation of to- 

 bacco from Cuba and the amount con- 

 sumed in the repubhc during the calendar 

 year 1911 together with the value of the 

 product are as follows : 



Quantity 



Value 



Cigars 188,129,188 $12,947,861 



Leaf tobacco. 308,479 bales 17,915,327 



Cigarettes . . . 14,172,412 pkgs. 392,006 



Cut tobacco.. 295,049 kilos 245,570 



Total value $31,500,764 



The home consumption in the island is 

 very large and in the same period the fig- 

 ures show the following amounts : 



Quantity Value 



Cigars 180,537,250 $8,124,176 



Cigarettes .. .231,386,209 pkgs. 5,090,496 



Cut tobacco.. 241,334 lbs. 120,677 



Total value $13,385,449 



The total value both of exportation and 

 home consumption foots up $44,836,106. 



La Lucha of Havana in printing these 

 figures, says that to this total must be 

 added the value of the tobacco consumed 

 in the cigar factories by the workmen who 

 are allowed a quantity free. No exact 

 figures of this consumption are obtainable, 

 but it is estimated by experts as at $2,500.- 

 000 which makes the tobacco industry of 

 Cuba worth something over $47,000,000 for 

 last year. 



The exportations for the fiscal years 

 1910 and 1911, ending June 30th. are issued 

 in the report for 1911 of the Cdinara de 

 Coinercio, Industria and Navigation of 

 Cuba, and are as follows : 



Fiscal Year of 1909-10 



Quantity Value 



Cigars 172,740,461 $11,922,853 



Cigarettes . . . 11,289,364 pkgs. 333.550 



Bales 362,915 17,231,211 



Cut tobacco.. 295,835 kilos 179.864 



Total value $29,667,478 



Fiscal Year 1910-11 



Quantity Value 



Cigars 177,636,072 $12,552,888 



Cigarettes ... 13,549,318 pkgs. 366,255 



■B-ales 321,528 16,585,725 



Cut tobacco.. 235,261 181,672 



Total value $29,686,540 



The tobacco crop in Cuba will be very 

 late this year, but promises to be fairly 

 plentiful, provided there is not an early 

 spring. An early spring will serve to cut 

 the crop down to a much smaller figure 

 than last year, w-hen there was a falling 

 off as compared with 1910. The tobacco 

 which has been harvested up to the present 

 is mostly that which was not ruined by 

 the torrential rains which fell in October 

 and destroyed all of the seed beds. This 

 tobacco, judging from accounts received 

 from all the different tobacco districts, 

 promises to be of an extremely light color 

 and almost strawlik6 in its nature. In the 

 ooinions of some, the early tobacco on 

 account of the heavy rains will be too 

 light to be of good quality. Others declare 

 that while the leaf will be light, there 

 will be a good demand for it for mild 

 cigars, and that the weed will not on ac- 

 count of its lightness suffer in price. 

 Planting throughout the Partido and Vuelta 

 Abajo districts was still going on up to 

 the end of the first week in February. 

 Cutting and picking in those districts of 

 the first plantings are also going on. 

 Growers are sanguine that their tobaccos 

 this year are certain to command good 

 prices. 



The succession of short tobacco crops in 

 Cuba has reduced the visible supply of Ha- 

 vana leaf to a point where the shortage 

 seems bound to be most .seriously felt, 

 although, fortunately, for some manufac- 

 turers, who have been far-sighted enough 

 to accumulate reserve stocks, says Tobacco 

 of New York. 



February 12th Havana correspondence 

 of the United States Tobacco Journal 

 (New York) says that from all accounts 

 and indications there is every promise of 

 a large though late crop from all districts. 

 Those that planted again right after the 

 big rain will have splendid tobacco, but 

 those w^ho waited and are even planting 

 yet in this late stage, will not have such 

 good tobacco. 



Everybody agrees now that this will be 

 a good year for the manufacturers with 

 an abundant crop of tobacco and conse- 

 quently lower prices and cheaper goods. 

 There is said to be a lot of good wrappers 

 in the new Partido crop. Remedios, too, 

 shows signs of being very good. 



There is some complaint coming in from 

 sections of the Vuelta Abajo about insects 

 attacking the young tobacco plants. The 

 Iiigh winds, too, did some damage to the 

 larger plants. The crop, however, is said 

 to be abundant, but in very good condition. 

 The Remedios crop is a specially large one. 



