Tobacco Asia

Volume 19, Number 3

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tobaccoasia 59 tories. But the farms started over again, with the impressive results that we see today. Nowadays, thanks to its tradition, social peace, economic growth, and geological diversity, Nica- ragua is becoming a strong and essential actor in the cigar industry. Nicaraguan cigar manufacturers come from different horizons: Cuban roots, European tradi- tion, and North-American production, making it one of the most interesting environments boasting a wide range of choices, from cheap and common cigars, simple in taste and quality, to the most so- phisticated blends of richness, character, and taste. Generally perceived in the past – with the ex- ception of a few brands – as cheap and of poor, the trend is now of a strong growing quality for Nicaraguan cigars. In the last few years, Nicaragua has firmly be- come the second premium cigar producing coun- try in volume, after the Dominican Republic. In third and forth positions are Honduras and Cuba, with roughly the same amount produced. Nicara- gua and tobacco are now inseparable: the tobacco industry is one of the largest employers in the country: about 30% of the people of Nicaragua depend on the industry for their living. Moreover, Nicaragua is becoming an indis- pensible producer of raw materials as Nicaraguan leaves enter into many blends of other countries' cigars. Aside from its strong cigar tradition, the rea- son for Nicaragua to acquire such a vital position in the industry is the huge surface of fertile soils adapted to tobacco culture, including a rare vari- ety of geological characteristics, soil profiles, and microclimates. Estelí is the capital of cigar production and houses a few major cigar factories, the largest be-

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