NICARAGUA
Nicaragua’s tobacco industry is seeing a huge boost mainly thanks to US demand. The country’s reputation as a tobacco producer is growing, boasting a sector that is a big exporter and employer.
Esteli, a region in the north of the country, has the dark soil and tropical climate perfect for growing tobacco. Juan Ignacio Martinez, the head of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco Growers, said that in Nicaragua, “the soil is of volcanic origin and well suited for any sort of crop,” he says, “especially tobacco leaf, which grows big here, with a lot of flavor and a great aroma that smokers like.”
Some 27 big companies owned by US, European, and Nicaraguan capital and 60 smaller local ones operate in Esteli, growing, curing, fermenting and producing cigars.Many of the farms here are owned by families that emigrated from Cuba, bringing with them Cuban know-how. People are flocking to the area to find employment. Around 35,000 are estimated to work for the tobacco industry in northern Nicaragua. The population influx has driven a boom in construction, shops, and tourism, turning Esteli into one of Nicaragua’s most important economic hubs.