HAVANA, Cuba (CMC) – Agriculture officials have announced plans to extend the current tobacco campaign until July, to offset losses stemming from weather conditions.

According to the first vice president of the TABACUBA cigar factory, Miguel Vladimir Rodriquez Gonzales, the goal is to plant more tobacco to ensure the restoration of the harvest.

He noted that given the climatic disadvantages, TABACUBA and its business system adopted appropriate measures regarding risk prevention against drought, heavy rains and high temperatures that cause the appearance of pests and diseases.

Gonzales told reporters at a recent press conference, that in the 2015/2016 campaign, workers gathered 24,000 tons of tobacco leaves and as a result,this will maintain the balance of the  industry for this year through the supply of raw materials for export and domestic consumption.

He added that the company is already working on the schedule for next season from April 1 and they have already selected seedbeds areas in which a programme to eradicate pests is being continued.

However TABACUBA’s industry director, Rodis Manuel Ortiz pointed to major challenges facing the industry such as the modernization projects of factories, expansion of productive capacities of cigarettes nationwide and the need to standardize all exportable quality productions.