Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1541387
58 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2025 November / December By Thomas Schmid Beyond the big names InterSupply has long been the showcase for the world's largest leaf suppliers. Names like Universal Leaf and Alliance One International, are perennial fixtures, commanding vast booths and global attention. Their scale, reach, and resources are unmatched. But between these towering presences, a quieter presence persists: smaller, independent suppliers who bring regional specialties, artisanal quality, and a differ- ent kind of story. These companies don't compete on volume or visibility. They compete on character—of product, of place, and of people. At Inter- Supply 2025, Tobacco Asia met three such suppliers: PT. Perkebunan Nusantara 1 from Indonesia, Adiyaman Tobacco Cooperative from Turkey, and International Tobacco Company Overseas Ltd. from Bul- garia. Each operates a little out of the main spotlight, yet each has carved out a niche that defies the odds. Independent Leaf Suppliers Hold Their Ground at InterSupply 2025 Three unconventional leaf suppliers whose stories reveal the grit, ingenuity, and quiet resilience required to thrive in a market dominated by global giants. PT. Perkebunan Nusantara 1: Indonesia's dual tobacco heritage "We are not just a tobacco company," Indri Dwi Wiyanti, vice president mar- keting of PT. Perkebunan Nusantara 1 (PTPN1), told Tobacco Asia at Inter- Supply2025. "We are a plantation group. We grow rubber, tea, coffee, cacao. Indri Dwi Wiyanti, v.p. marketing, PTPN1. Credit: Thomas Schmid But tobacco—tobacco is special." PTPN1 is part of the state-owned Perkebunan Nusantara con- glomerate, and its tobacco operations span Cen- tral Java, East Java, and Sumatra. The company cultivates two distinct varietals: Besuki TBN from Java and Sumatra leaf from the island's northern reaches. "Sumatra leaf is world famous, perhaps the second most famous after Cubano," Indri said. "It's used only in premium cigars, and global de- mand is high." The company's production model is hybrid. In Java, PTPN I applies leases land from local farm- ers. For labor, priority is given to the landowners themselves as well as farmers from the surround- ing areas, ensuring their direct involvement in the cultivation process. Through this model, PTPN I not only supports the socio-economic sustainabil- ity of local communities but also guarantees that tobacco cultivation is carried out in accordance with the company's standards. In Sumatra, the company operates its own plantations, currently covering around 20 hectares, with plans to expand in 2026. "Next year, we will increase the acreage for Sumatra to 50 hectares," Indri revealed. Annual output reflects this structure. Besuki TBN yields approximately 900,000 kilograms of cured leaf per year, while Sumatra leaf—due to its limited acreage—produces around 14,000 ki- lograms. But with pending expansion underway, that figure is set to rise. Export is the lifeblood of PTPN1's tobacco business. "About 90% across both varietals is exported," Indri said, "primarily to Europe and America, but also to some Asian countries." The remaining 10% is sold domesti- cally, often to local hand-rolled cigar manufactur- Leaf sorting at PTPN1's warehouse in Ajong, Jember, East Java. Credit: PTPN1