Cuba’s state-owned tobacco group, Tabacuba, intensified its support for local growers ahead of the 2025 harvest, deploying new logistics and equipment to improve efficiency and reduce reliance on intermediaries. The group added five new Howo fuel trucks to the six existing vehicles, along with 12 tractors and trailers, aimed at ensuring direct delivery of diesel and materials to farms and facilitating transport from the port of Mariel. Marino Murillo, president of Tabacuba, said these measures are expected to benefit around 7,000 growers, while the first Freely Convertible Currency supply store for tobacco producers was also inaugurated, offering a range of agricultural and hardware products.
Additional programs include technical support for the cultivation of covered tobacco in Sancti Spíritus, targeting high-quality export crops for about 20 producers. The initiative provides growers with guidance across all stages of production, from seed planting to curing. Previous investments this year included six Mercedes-Benz vehicles for growers, highlighting Tabacuba’s strategy of combining logistical support with incentives to stabilize and encourage tobacco output amid concerns over declining production and its impact on export revenues.