古巴因雪茄销售下降而控制烟叶产量

　　古巴因雪茄销售下降而控制烟叶产量

　　由于闻名遐迩的古巴雪茄的市场需求量下降，古巴被迫削减烟叶收割量。

　　据该国的国有的报纸《游击队》（Guerrillero）报道，今年烟叶的收割量比去年下降了14%。

　　报道中提到：“由于经济危机导致的资源限制，使得烟叶种植量有所缩减。”

　　古巴雪茄去年的销售量下跌了8%，而生产量的跌幅更大。

　　下降的销售量越发把产量推至低谷。去年，古巴出口的雪茄为7300万支。

　　相比而言，2006年的出口量则达到了2.17亿支。

　　但一部分的减产，是由于生产和销售雪茄的哈伯纳斯公司消耗了它的库存。

　　虽然受到长期的美国贸易禁运限制，手卷雪茄依然是加勒比岛国的主要出口产品。

　　西班牙是最大的独立出口市场，然而最近实施的禁烟令打击了该地的卷烟消费。

　　航空客运量的下降也同样打击到了免税市场的销售。

　　Cuba curbs tobacco harvest as cigar sales fall

　　BBC News

　　5 July 2010

　　Cuba has been forced to cut its tobacco harvest in response to a fall in demand for its famous Cuban cigars.

　　This year's harvest of tobacco leaves is down 14% on last year, according to one of the country's state-run newspapers, Guerrillero.

　　"There was a reduction in planting due to limitations on resources caused by the economic crisis," the report said.

　　Sales of Cuban cigars fell by 8% last year, while production has fallen even further.

　　Falling sales have pushed down production by even more. Last year, Cuba produced 73 million cigars for export.

　　That compares with the 217 million made in 2006.

　　But part of that reduction comes as Habanos, the company that produces and sells the cigars, runs down its stockpiles.

　　The hand-rolled cigars are a major export for the Caribbean island, although they are limited by a long-running US trade embargo.

　　Spain is the single biggest export market, where the recent introduction of a smoking ban has hit consumption.

　　Falling airline passenger numbers has also hit duty-free sales.