PCA Magazine Summer 2022

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG VOLUME 3 2022 | PCA The Magazine 39 farmers at least have on their side the fact that tobacco is, at base, a hardy tropical weed that is more capable of enduring extreme conditions than many other crops. Thus far, Connecticut tobacco does not seem to be experiencing dire straits. Dr. James A. LaMondia of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Valley Laboratory inWindsor, reports: “The prediction of more variable and extreme weather seems to be borne out in cycles of unusually wet and droughty conditions in different years. The wet years can be challenging for cigar wrapper production in the field and for curing, especially when fall weather is both warmer and wetter than usual. We are investigating reduced tillage techniques as a means of reducing the impact of excess water. The dry years can actually result in excellent wrapper quality, especially as most growers in the Connecticut River Valley can irrigate when necessary. We have seen some diseases that are more common in southern production areas causing periodic problems in Connecticut as conditions warm.” Radhames Rodriguez Sr., patriarch of the Dominican tobacco giant Tabacalera El Artista, tells us: “Every season has its own characteristics, and in the last couple of years, it’s been a little harder to predict how the season will be. Some years are great, but others are either too wet or too dry, making things a little bit harder. On the plus side, when the weather is too dry, the crop is not too big, but the tobacco that we yield is better. Traditionally, we grow tobacco during our tropical winter frommid-September to February, but in the past five years we had to move the season four weeks further, because in September the weather is still not right.” Rodriguez adds, “Tropical weather is hard to predict, so we have to be ready for any change. If it seems that the season is going to be dry, we try to use the farms that are close to good sources of water. If it is wet, we make a decision about the crop based on conditions.” Nestor Plasencia, head of one of the world’s largest tobacco- growing and cigar-making firms, assumes a proactive philosophy in confronting possible disruptions that climate may impose on his central American operations. In many ways, Plasencia may be lighting a path to the future of large-scale tobacco cultivation in a changing world. He tells us, “We believe that climate change is affecting all crops, including tobacco. Some of the changes we have experienced are an increase in hurricanes in the region, stronger rains and longer periods without rain, deforestation and loss of ecosystems, as well as many changes in the availability of water.” He continues: “To solve the problem of loss of ecosystems, we have reforestation campaigns for native species in the area. This year we have planted more than 30,000 trees in our farms and next to the rivers and our idea is to continue each year AS CIGAR LOVERS, WE CAN ALL BE THANKFUL FOR THE REALISM AND DEDICATION WITH WHICH GROWERS ARE WORKING TO PROTECT, IN SUN AND RAIN, THE TREASURED PLANTS THAT BRING US JOY AND SUSTENANCE. increasing the number of trees. On the other hand, with these trees we improve the retention of water in our soils and which helps us to improve the availability of water for irrigation.” Plasencia emphasizes the management of water and land resources in helping him deal with evolving climate conditions. He says, “To increase the availability of water we have installed drip irrigation systems where we can reduce the amount of water needed to grow tobacco by more than 50 percent. Another initiative is that through mixed cover crops rotation we protect our soils fromwater and wind erosion and increase the organic matter on our farms, which translates into more resistant tobaccos and at the same time they give us a better flavor because our crops can absorb nutrients from the soil and grow with greater nutritional content, which translates into better flavor. Being the first and only tobacco company that produces certified organic tobacco, we have learned from nature, and continue to do so. For example, we have vermicompost production where we use earthworms to produce the best organic fertilizer that exists to apply to our crops.” So big cigar leaf producers evidently believe that climate change is real, and they are trying to be agile in confronting it, constantly taking into account the cards that the atmosphere is dealing. As cigar lovers, we can all be thankful for the realism and dedication with which growers are working to protect, in sun and rain, the treasured plants that bring us joy and sustenance. P R O T E C T I N G T H E L E A F