Habanos - after hurricanes can survive using tobacco reserves..

September 26, 2008 - Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which struck within 10 days of each other, destroyed up to 2 million pounds of Cuba's best tobacco, but reserves of the leaf should cover demand for the island's premium cigars for the next year, said Manuel Garcia, vice president of cigar producer Habanos S.A. Garcia stated: "Undoubtedly we are going to need an important financial injection for the tobacco (industry)."

Habanos, a joint venture between the Cuban government and Altadis, a unit of British-based Imperial Tobacco, produces and sells some of the world's best-known cigars, including Monte Cristo, Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta and Partagas. It reported sales of $402 million (218 million pounds) in 2007, up from $375 million in 2006.

Reference: Cuban cigar supply said not hurt by hurricanes by Esteban Israel, tiscali.news, 5/09/2008

Related news briefs: Imperial Tobacco Group to Enhance Joint Venture Altadis Had With Habanos Cigars..; Cuban cigar sales rose 7 percent to $402 million in 2007.. and Altadis (Alliance Tobacco Distributors) born from the merger of Spain's Tabacalera and France's Seita SA (F.STA) state tobacco monopolies...