Tag: Afubra

  • Brazil Anticipates Larger Crop in 2023

    Brazil Anticipates Larger Crop in 2023

    Photo: Ronaldo Almeida

    Farmers in southern Brazil have planted enough tobacco to harvest 604.73 million kg in 2023—7.95 percent more than in 2022, reports Kohltrade, citing the country’s tobacco growers’ association, Afubra.

    In Rio Grande do Sul, the production estimate points to 256.73 million kg of tobacco, cultivated in an area of 117,675 hectares with a productivity of 2,182 kg per ha. Compared with the past crop, tobacco growers in the Rio Grande do Sul increased their area by 3.17 percent and production should be 3.8 percent higher, Afubra estimates. Average productivity during the 2021–2022 harvest was 2,168 kg per ha.

    In Santa Catarina, the projection is 191.55 million kg, produced in an area of 77,489 hectares with a productivity of 2,472 kg per ha. The planted area increased 10.22 percent from last year, and production is estimated to be 11.49 percent higher. Santa Catarina’s farmers average productivity was 2,444 kg per ha in the past season.

    In Parana, production should reach 156.46 million kg in an area of 66,576 hectares with an estimated productivity of 2,350 kg per ha. The producers of Parana increased their area under tobacco by 6.99 percent. Afubra estimated increased production will be up by 10.93 percent. Productivity in the past season was 2,267 kg per ha.

    Afubra President Benicio Albano Werner said the increase in the production area was expected. “The past crop was for a large part of tobacco growers very profitable,” he said. “This encouraged some producers to increase their planted area.”

  • Volumes Down, Prices up in Southern Brazil

    Volumes Down, Prices up in Southern Brazil

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Tobacco growers in southern Brazil produced 560.18 million kg in 2021–2022, 10.9 percent less than in the previous growing season, reports Kohltrade, citing figures released by the Brazilian Tobacco Growers Association, Afubra, on Sept. 5.

    Production included 512.59 million kg of flue-cured Virginia, 41.79 million kg of burley and 5.79 million kg of Galpao Comum, a native tobacco variety.

    The area planted with tobacco in southern Brazil decreased by 8.8 percent year-on-year to 246,590 ha in 2021–2022.

    While the leaf volume was down, the average price paid to tobacco growers in southern Brazil grew by 61.5 percent to BRL17.02 ($3.25) per kg this year.

    The average price was BRL17.26 per kg in Rio Grande do Sul, BRL17.19 per kg in Santa Catarina and BRL16.41 per kg in Parana.

    Industry representatives expect the southern Brazil region to cultivate a slightly larger tobacco area for the 2022–2023 crop.

    The production estimate will be completed by the end of October.

  • ‘Reforestation Efforts Paying off in Brazil’

    ‘Reforestation Efforts Paying off in Brazil’

    Photo: Joao Bispo

    Tobacco industry reforestation efforts are paying off in southern Brazil, reports industry association SindiTabaco on National Atlantic Forest Day. Over the past 40 years, the tobacco sector has been working to eradicate the consumption of wood from native trees for curing. As a result, Forest cover on small-scale tobacco farms has now reached 24 percent, split into 15 percent native forests and 9 percent planted forests, according to data released by the Tobacco Growers’ Association of Brazil.

    “For some decades now, the sector has been self-sufficient in fuel wood for curing tobacco, and thus native forests are preserved,” said SindiTabaco president Iro Schunke. “Incentives provided by the industries, which started in the mid-1970s, and the farmers’ willingness to plant eucalyptus trees played a fundamental role in the present enviable forest cover rates.”

    In 2019, SindiTabaco partnered with the Federal University of Santa Maria to preserve forests while providing farmers with a sustainable source of energy.

    “Tobacco is a centuries-old crop, and when it was brought to our region, it was strongly dependent on natural forests as a source of fuel wood, particularly because back then there were no planted forests,” says research coordinator Jorge Antonio de Farias.

    For some decades now, the sector has been self-sufficient in fuel wood for curing tobacco, and thus native forests are preserved.

    Iro Schunke, president, SindiTabaco

    “Such common tree species as eucalyptus and acacia were rare at that time and little known, and, on the other hand, native forests were in great abundance. As of the 1970s, when the sector set targets to eradicate the consumption of wood from native trees, the farmers began to use wood from planted forests.

    “Within this context, the target of the project consists in strengthening the conquests achieved so far—that is to say, the maintenance of the existing native forests—and at the same time come up with new elements and technologies capable of increasing the productivity rates of existing reforested plots whilst establishing new reforestation areas.

    “To this end, we are creating reference units in tens of tobacco farms, testing new technologies and techniques, like spacing—distance between trees—new genetic materials and forest species that lead to higher productivity and energy performance.”

    The results of the research will be shared through social media channels with tobacco farmers.