72 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2026 November / December
and its connections with growers beyond Jujuy. Ar-
gentina produces several tobacco varieties in differ-
ent regions. Jujuy and Salta are important virginia-
growing provinces, while the provinces of Misiones
and Corrientes produce burley. The country's over-
all annual tobacco output is approximately 58–60
million kilograms, according to Puede — modest
compared with Brazil's much larger production.
Virginia at the core
CTJ's principal focus is FCV. Puede estimated that
Jujuy produces around 30,000–32,000 metric tons
annually across approximately 12,500 hectares. CTJ
purchases about 43% of the province's production,
making it a major link between local farmers and
international markets. But the cooperative's role
extends beyond purchasing leaf. It provides techni-
cal support to growers and coordinates production
with processing, quality control, and export require-
ments. This helps connect farming practices with
the specifications demanded by manufacturers and
leaf customers. CTJ's quality and operational frame-
work includes ISO 9001 certification for quality
management, ISO 14001 for environmental man-
agement, and ISO 45001 for occupational health
and safety. The cooperative's website lists indicative
CTJ shared its booth
with two other Argentine
grower cooperatives:
Coprotab (from the
province of Salta) and
CTM (from Misiones);
pictured: CTJ's Rubén
Puede.
Credit: Thomas Schmid
