Cuba says tobacco sector thriving once again.

The Cuban government says the tobacco infrastructure in Pinar del Rio province has recovered from the damage caused by Hurricanes Isidore and Lili last year.

Over 11,000 tobacco curing houses have been rebuilt since the storms, whose heavy rains and sustained winds of over 100 mph devastated eastern Cuba in September and October 2002.

The hurricanes damaged 56,000 seed beds and destroyed thousands of tobacco houses, according to Cuban media. Around 15,000 workers from across Cuba were sent to help in reconstruction efforts, "for which over two million pieces of wood were cut and transported, and 700 kms (435 miles) of road were repaired"--thus allowing Cuba to meet the demand for this year's harvest.

In related news, Prensa Latina reports that Sancti Spiritus province, 350 kms east of Havana, will export 12 million cigars this year. Dagoberto Ibarra Gonzalez, a local tobacco industry official, said the province produces around 700 tobacco brands led by Montecristo, San Luis Rey, Romeo y Julieta and Punch.

At present, Sancti Spiritus has 10 factores of rolled tobacco, two for domestic markets and eight for overseas markets.

Meanwhile, a Spanish-Cuban tobacco venture known as Cotais S.A. will sell over 500,000 Punch mini-cigars locally and over 10 million cigars abroad, according to Jorge Abraham, the venture's vice-president.

Cotais is a 50-50 venture between Spain's Canary Industrial Tobacco Center and Havana-based Tabacuba. It was established in 1998 and employs 40 workers at a small factory in the Havana industrial neighborhood of Cerro.

"We started with the small Punch cigars, with a cardboard box pack format, which led to today's Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey--two excellent Cuban tobacco brands with prestige," Abraham told Prensa Latina.

The company also wants to begin selling another brand, Midi, which is a little longer and wider than the Mini cigars already on the market. The Midi brand will soon be available at the Universo chain of stores run by state entity Cubanacan. S.A. Universo currently sells around 5 million cigars of all types a year, with sales of $10-14 million.

Under an agreement signed by Abraham and Jose Manuel Asenjo, assistant commercial director of Universo, the Mini will be priced at $3.75 for the Punch metal box, containing 20 units; the Hoyo de Monterrey will cost $6 per box.