Key Takeaways:

• Cuba’s Tabacuba has expanded its logistics fleet with new trucks, tractors, and trailers to better support growers.
• The measures are expected to benefit roughly 7,000 producers and reduce reliance on intermediaries.
• Tabacuba also opened its first foreign-currency supply store and expanded technical programs for high-quality covered tobacco.

Cuba’s state-owned tobacco company Tabacuba has increased its support for local farmers ahead of the 2025 harvest, introducing new logistical resources and supply channels to stabilize production and boost export opportunities.

Marino Murillo, president of Tabacuba, stated that the company has added five new Howo fuel trucks, 12 tractors and trailers, to its existing fleet of six trucks. The equipment will be used to deliver diesel and farm materials directly to approximately 7,000 growers and to improve transportation from the port of Mariel.

“These measures are designed to reduce dependence on intermediaries and ensure our farmers receive what they need more efficiently,” Murillo said.

Along with the new vehicles, Tabacuba opened the first Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) supply store dedicated to tobacco producers, providing agricultural and hardware products that farmers previously had difficulty accessing.

The group has also expanded technical support for cultivating covered tobacco in Sancti Spíritus, focusing on premium export crops for roughly 20 producers. The program spans the entire production cycle, from seed planting to curing, with experts available to assist farmers.

The initiatives build on earlier investments this year, including delivering six Mercedes-Benz vehicles to select growers, as part of Tabacuba’s broader strategy to combine logistical support with targeted incentives.

Officials say the push aims to stabilize output after years of declining tobacco production, which has strained one of Cuba’s key export industries.