Cuba’s tobacco sector is investing in modern machinery to boost production efficiency, with 300 tractors delivered to individual producers and cooperatives across multiple provinces last year, the Tabacuba Business Group told Granma on Monday. Financed through farmers’ foreign currency earnings and a flexible installment program, Tabacuba provides the equipment at cost, without profit, to expand access for growers.
José Liván Font, First Vice President of Tabacuba, said the initiative contributes hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the national economy and supports small-scale family operations. In Pinar del Río, which produces 70% of Cuba’s tobacco, 75 tractors were delivered alongside photovoltaic systems for irrigation and lighting, enhancing energy independence and operational efficiency.
Tabacuba said it plans to import another 300 tractors and related agricultural implements in 2026, aiming to further improve working conditions, increase production, and raise incomes for tobacco producers nationwide.