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Tobacco is grown in five fairly well-defined areas or districts in Cuba. 

 From the western to the eastern part of the Island these districts are: Vuelta 

 Abajo, Semi -Vuelta, Partido, Remedios, and Oriente. By far the greater part of 

 production is in the Vuelta Abajo and Remedios districts, which together have 

 accounted for around 90 percent of the total in recent years. The Vuelta Abajo 

 district produces the finest quality tobacco grown in Cuba, but a substantial 

 part of production is used domestically for the manufacture of cigars for local 

 consumption and export. From the standpoint of the United States, the Remedios 

 district is the most important producing area, for this region normally fur- 

 nishes the largest share of the tobacco exported to the United States. 



Vuelta Abajo . This district is in the westernmost part of the country in 

 the Province of Pinar del Rio and in recent years has accounted for around half 

 of total production. Tobacco from this district is the finest grown in Cuba, 

 and it is this area from which much of the fame of Cuban tobacco has arisen. 

 Most of the output is used for cigar filler, although shade-grown wrapper and 

 binder tobacco are also produced. The leaf is light brown in color, fine in 

 texture and quality, normal in size, and is aromatic yet mild. Vuelta Abajo 

 tobacco is for all practical purposes the only tobacco produced in Cuba which 

 can be made into a desirable cigar without blending it with other tobaccos. 

 While most of the tobacco in Cuba is sun-cured, most of the shade-grown wrapper 

 in this and the Partido district is fire-cured. 



Semi - Vuelta . This district is also in the Province of Pinar del Rio, 

 lying adjacent to and east of the Vuelta Abajo district. However, mainly due 

 to a difference in soil, the tobacco produced here is generally lower in quality 

 than the Vuelta Abajo tobacco, being heavy bodied, coarser in texture, and 

 stronger in aroma. All of the tobacco is sun-cured, and a large proportion of 

 it is used locally in the manufacture of cigarettes, with the remainder used as 

 cigar filler or for export. Usually around k percent of total Cuban output is 

 produced in this area. 



Partido. This area lies southwest of the city of Havana, mostly in the 

 Province of the same name, although a small portion of it extends into the 

 Pinar del Rio Province. Almost all of the tobacco grown in this district is 

 shade-grown and fire-cured for wrappers. The best tobacco from this area has 

 large leaves, fine texture, and mild taste, and has a greenish-sand color after 

 curing. The quick fire-curing process to which this tobacco is subjected pro- 

 duces this characteristic color, and the wrapper is in demand both for export 

 and for local manufacture of cigars for export. Only the better quality leaves 

 are suitable for wrappers; the bottom and top leaves of the plant may be used 

 for binders or filler tobacco. The rich, reddish soils of the area are well 

 adapted for the production of this type of tobacco. Production in this district 

 makes up around 3 percent of the total Cuban output. 



Remedios . This district, the source of the largest volume of Cuban 

 tobacco imported into the United States, lies near the center of the island, 

 mostly in the Las Villas Province, although a portion of it is in the Camaguey 

 Province. In contrast to the areas discussed above, all tobacco in the district 

 is stalk cut. Remedios tobacco is gummy, fine in texture, and aromatic, and 



