Farmers in Cyprus return to tobacco

Villagers in the Karpas region of Cyprus are hoping for success with their 2016 crop of tobacco following a 12-year break in commercial production, according to a story in The Cyprus Weekly.

The most recent tobacco harvest in the region was in 2004, though there was a failed attempt to grow a crop two years ago.

The 2004 harvest didn’t find a market and the growers had all but abandoned tobacco.

However, the Karpas Co-operative Tobacco Sales Company, which has been operating in the region since 1976 and which had been producing 50-60 tons of tobacco a year, saw an opening recently.

An official from the Co-operative reportedly said that its biggest competitor had been Syria, but the civil war had seen a drop in production there, leading to a gap in the market.

Previously, Karpas farmers grew ‘Yayla’ tobacco, which was said to be native to the region, but this year they imported seedlings from Turkey in the hope that the resulting leaf will be more commercial.

The crop is normally planted in February and harvested in June.

Tobacco was once an important source of income for the Karpas region and it is now seen as offering the chance for economic regeneration.