As an agricultural product, the tobacco plant is the most important element in the manufacturing process of cigars and cigarillos. While tobacco seeds can be relatively easy to grow, producing the quality tobaccos needed for cigars requires extensive and careful controls of its growth environment.
To ensure this, seeds are initially placed in a protected seedbed, before being transplanted into a field where they will remain for eight to twelve weeks. During this time, the leaves are carefully cultivated by manual labour and may remain covered with special cloths to protect them from harmful solar rays.
As an agricultural product, the tobacco plant is the most important element in the manufacturing process of cigars and cigarillos. While tobacco seeds can be relatively easy to grow, producing the quality tobaccos needed for cigars requires extensive and careful controls of its growth environment.
To ensure this, seeds are initially placed in a protected seedbed, before being transplanted into a field where they will remain for eight to twelve weeks. During this time, the leaves are carefully cultivated by manual labour and may remain covered with special cloths to protect them from harmful solar rays.
Following their manual harvesting, the tobacco leaves undergo an extensive curing process, to allow each of them to develop their own distinctive and special aroma. To ensure the highest quality and taste, the curing process must begin without delay once the leaves have begun to change colour. Throughout the curing process, the tobacco leaves are hung on wooden laths and suspended from the ceilings of well-ventilated large curing barns.
A leaf can go through different kinds of curing – e.g. sun drying, air-drying, drying above a fire or at a high temperature – depending on what taste profile the cigar should have to the particular liking of its future consumer.
After curing, leaves are secured and bundled in large casks, piles or packed into boxes where they further cure / ferment for several months or years, to activate the tobacco’s natural fermentation process, allowing it to develop its unique taste and aroma.
Following their manual harvesting, the tobacco leaves undergo an extensive curing process, to allow each of them to develop their own distinctive and special aroma. To ensure the highest quality and taste, the curing process must begin without delay once the leaves have begun to change colour. Throughout the curing process, the tobacco leaves are hung on wooden laths and suspended from the ceilings of well-ventilated large curing barns.
A leaf can go through different kinds of curing – e.g. sun drying, air-drying, drying above a fire or at a high temperature – depending on what taste profile the cigar should have to the particular liking of its future consumer.
After curing, leaves are secured and bundled in large casks, piles or packed into boxes where they further cure / ferment for several months or years, to activate the tobacco’s natural fermentation process, allowing it to develop its unique taste and aroma.
Typically, leaves intended for cigars and cigarillos use are allowed to ferment considerably longer than leaves for cigarettes if at all. Following the fermentation stage, the leaves can be sorted according to their colour, quality and size. Many tobaccos are then aged for two to three years in bales made of burlap, or in palm bark tercios before rolling. Some tobaccos may receive as many as seven years of aging. The wrapper for machine made cigars are manually stretched and cut before they are rolled in a bobbin.
This intricate, considered selection process is time and labour-intensive, which represents a key reason for the subsequent leaf price differential between wrapper tobacco and other tobacco products such as cigarettes. In this regard, the price of a leaf meant to be used as a wrapper is approximately 10 times higher than filler tobacco.
Between 2019 and 2020, ECMA members sourced over 23,770 tons of high-quality tobacco for use in fillers, binders and wrappers. Over 25% of this tobacco was cultivated in Europe, with Italy, Germany, Spain and Bulgaria being major providers.
Typically, leaves intended for cigars and cigarillos use are allowed to ferment considerably longer than leaves for cigarettes if at all. Following the fermentation stage, the leaves can be sorted according to their colour, quality and size. Many tobaccos are then aged for two to three years in bales made of burlap, or in palm bark tercios before rolling. Some tobaccos may receive as many as seven years of aging. The wrapper for machine made cigars are manually stretched and cut before they are rolled in a bobbin.
This intricate, considered selection process is time and labour-intensive, which represents a key reason for the subsequent leaf price differential between wrapper tobacco and other tobacco products such as cigarettes. In this regard, the price of a leaf meant to be used as a wrapper is approximately 10 times higher than filler tobacco.
Between 2019 and 2020, ECMA members sourced over 23,770 tons of high-quality tobacco for use in fillers, binders and wrappers. Over 25% of this tobacco was cultivated in Europe, with Italy, Germany, Spain and Bulgaria being major providers.