Tobacco Report

[Dancealot]

I dont think Thai leaves can be used as the wrapper. I have to admit i'm out of my comfort zone as an expert on the construction of Cigs. I mostly deal at the other end of the Cig life cycle, namely the smoking end!

But as i've stated, the components of cigs are:The Filler, the binder, and the wrapper. Each is self explanatory. The binder is what you use to initially wrap the filler in,and compress to get its shape. The wrapper is the outside leaf which has to be blemish free and pristine.

Thats where the problem lies. From the looks on your pic's, the Thai leaf has way too many, and too large veins to use as wrapper. I think i can harvest in between the veins to get strips long enough to use as binder. and the binder strips i can small roll into the filler. So the hole is getting sufficient quality wrapper.

Theres a variaty of cig wrapper called "Connecticut Shade" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_shade_tobacco where the tobacco leaves are grown under a screen that screens off 60% (I think) of the sunlight. This reduces the sunload on the leaves, and in addition to the benefits listed in the above link, it also reduces incidence of blemishes, and with the reduced sunload, and increased humidity, reduces the size and quantity of the veins per leaf (pure speculation on my part). All the combinations listed above makes the Connecticut Shade a great wrapper. But i see no reason why the shading shouldn't work in Thailand, unless selective breeding has changed the genetic makeup of the tobacco.

Now all this is speculation on my part. And a shade experiment would be interesting to run, IF I had a farm. I dont think a non Cig smoking farmer would be interested lol. I do have some friends with family in Issan growing tobacco. Maybe i could talk one of them into trying it.

In the short run, I could try rolling some Cigs from a combination of bulk(your pics of the wholesale tobacco) and long leaf filler, binder, and selected binder as the wrapper. Just to see how it tastes. If the taste is off, nothing will help it. As my mentor once told me,

"you can put lipstick on a pig,

but its still going to look like a pig "

But to do any of this, i'll need to find a source of dried but still nimble (and preferably aged) whole leaf tobacco.

Ok i'm pulling the plug on this post. Its gotten WAY too long. Do you know of some farmers that i could get some whole leaves from at the next harvest? or are there any drying now that i could get some access to?

Then you'll have to go to the farmers you know and get the dried leaves yourself. Harvesting and drying all depends on season and farm capacity.

[jamhar]

So what are the harvest seasons? You posted in March. Is that one? are there more?

Where is the tobacco growing regions? I drove thru Nan and saw some tobacco being grown. Are there more regions other than Nan?

[Dancealot]

So what are the harvest seasons? You posted in March. Is that one? are there more?

Where is the tobacco growing regions? I drove thru Nan and saw some tobacco being grown. Are there more regions other than Nan?

Phetchabun

I know planting and sowing started in Jan/Feb this season.

[Dancealot]

[Dancealot]

A genuine report from journeyman taken in Malawi.

If you are engaged with this subject, please take 20 minutes to watch the documentary released on november 18th, 2013.

It's very interesting to compare Thai tobacco farming with Malawi's.

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. Wikipedia

[David48]

Mate ... I'd forgotten about this thread ... some nice photos there 'ole chap ...

[Dancealot]

Mate ... I'd forgotten about this thread ... some nice photos there 'ole chap ...

No worries, chum. Wait untill next season which starts in december..... You'll be in for a surprise...

Those salty plains.... Here I come.

[Dancealot]

[jamhar]

Dude, I'm salivating!

That is a picture of beauty in my book!

Is that a recent pic?

I had my calender set to alarm in December for looking into tobacco. Are some harvesting already?

[Dancealot]

Dude, I'm salivating!

That is a picture of beauty in my book!

Is that a recent pic?

I had my calender set to alarm in December for looking into tobacco. Are some harvesting already?

Thanks for sticking around, jamhar.

December is planting time for the baby tobacco's. They are being cultivated now.

[Dancealot]

Forget about tobacco ethics for a second...

[MJP]

This is brilliant work, DAL. Educating people is so much easier using good photos with accompanying explanations.

[Dancealot]

Hay

This is a traditional aspect of the tobaco growing process.

After every baby tobacco has been planted on the field . (Weeks of back breaking work); The field in question will be entirly covered with hay and consequently rinsed with water so the wind cant displace the hay.

Everything is done manually.

[kickstart]

This is brilliant work, DAL. Educating people is so much easier using good photos with accompanying explanations.

[/qu

Who was it said "1 photograph can say a thousand words".

A very good presentation on some thing I know very little about,

thank you.

[Dancealot]

It's not much but here's a first snap taken from a baby tobacco.

[Dancealot]

I'm back at the tobacco farm.

The coming weeks I will be documenting and observing tobacco harvesting more in depth then before.

Thanks.

[rhythmworx]

This is one of the most interesting threads I have seen on any forum, cheers for sharing it with us.

[Thai at Heart]

Allow me to stray before i post the drying- and selling process.

Harvesting in style using the shiny pick-up!

Last night i had a discussion with farm dad on how many bags would go on the Hillux. He claimed no more over 30

and i claimed i could make it 35 because the traditional stacking system lacked efficiency IMO.

Farm dad added wisely "no cheating, no back seat". Hahaha

Most trucks around here are stacked the same way. Leafs north / Stem south. Like so.

IMG_1841 (800 x 600).jpg IMG_1845 (800 x 600).jpg

Common sense dictates to me if i use the european jing jang stacking method i can increase the loading capacity.Like so

IMG_2705 (800 x 600).jpg IMG_2707 (800 x 600).jpg

35 on there with room left to spare.

Plastic wraps. Aaaaaagggggghhhh.

The agronomy teams would have a fit

[Thai at Heart]

Ok so when and where can i buy whole leaf tobacco? can any one help? I'm really serious about this

There are many tobacco farms in the North-East of Thailand. How much do you intend to buy? ...

Not much, maybe 10kg or so. I want to experiment rolling my own cigs. Thias roll their own cigarettes, I figure I can roll my own Cig. The problem is getting some good whole leaf tobacco that i can use as longleaf filler, binder and wrapper. Finding good tobacco for wrapper will be the key.

There are over 50k families growing in the north east.

[jamhar]

OK So how much time do i have to get to the NE to see if i can get some whole leaves? and where in the NE should i go? Nan?

[Dancealot]

OK So how much time do i have to get to the NE to see if i can get some whole leaves? and where in the NE should i go? Nan?

Phetchabun area for instance. I'd thought you'd gone there by now, jamhar. I could bring you a leave or two since I'm heading south to Bangkok before the end of the month.

For you to enjoy of the scale of the tobacco operation. To confirm Thai at Heart's words: There is so much tobacco here, as far as the eye can see..

[jacnl2000]

I dont think Thai leaves can be used as the wrapper. I have to admit i'm out of my comfort zone as an expert on the construction of Cigs.

I mostly deal at the other end of the Cig life cycle, namely the smoking end!

My father ( an orginal Dutch manual tobacco maker ) taught me as a child at home in the evenings how to remove the main nerves

manually out of many pretty good smelling dried brown coloured whole tobacco leaves intended as wrappers to be used in tobacco machines

for the production of gorgious Elisabeth Bas cigars which was a brand of cigars named after this painting in the 20th century

produced at a factory at Boxtel in the Netherlands using this painting as a logo, and their bands and the boxes for cigars of this brand are still collectors' items. Later in time these cigs were renamed to La Paz and Willem II. Production facility in Boxtel was moved to Houthalen in Belgium and Valkenswaard in the Netherlands. The rather huge leaves I see on some of these wonderfull Thai pictures trigger lovely almost forgotten memories of many dear good old friends ( thank you ! ) and also seem to be excellent wrappers, but not for cigs... lol ... After having noticed those rather strong looking nerves I'm pretty sure they are not going to feel right inside my hands, so I guess only a smaller percentage of these leaves ( of these tabacco plants ) have the potential of becoming excellent wrappers, Of course I'm not capable of judging their taste and smell because I do not smoke cigars.

[Dancealot]

This season 6 rai is being done which requires a more refined logistical approach.

In this haul 3 ETAN's(corrected from ETAC) are deployed along with 7 workers and a dog.

When everything is running smoothly 1 ETAN is being loaded, while another one is being offloaded, while the 3rd ETAN is driving.

[jamhar]

Beautiful pics!

D-alot, Id love to go but I didnt know when the next harvest was I wanted to be there during the harvest. The thought was that i'd like to get some aged whole leaves, but if not i'd rather have green leaves rather than the diced ones.

Also even tho i've been in TL for just over a year, I still dont speak thai. and add to that, that i dont know where to go, how to get here, when to go ect, I figured i'd wait till the next harvest . I call it SOL (sh*t out of luck) or my dad would have call my situation regarding Cigs a SNAFU (Situation Normal, All F*cked Up).

But now that the harvest is on, maybe i should plan on a trip before they are all processed!

[Dancealot]

After having noticed those rather strong looking nerves I'm pretty sure they are not going to feel right inside my hands, so I guess only a smaller percentage of these leaves ( of these tabacco plants ) have the potential of becoming excellent wrappers, Of course I'm not capable of judging their taste and smell because I do not smoke cigars.

Maybe it doesn't feel right in your hands but you have got some nerve, jacnl200. Thank you for your insightful and emphatic contribution.

Dankjewel,

DAL

[jamhar]

D-alot, do the growers age the whole leaves? whats the processing steps for the Thai cigarette industry? Do the farmers just sell the bulk leaves to a processor or cigarette manufacturer?

While the veins of the larger leaves (those at the lower part of the plant) do look pretty large and may not be suitable for use as a wrapper in the traditional sense. I'm wondering if the younger leaves at the middle or top of the plant would be better. Also is it possible to cut the sections out in between the veins on the large leaves to harvest 1.5" wide, but long strips to use as wrapper? normally this would be more appropriate for binder but hey, i'm just trying to think outside the box

[David48]

DAL ... great to see you back at the Farm and sharing, not only the photos, but your experiences as well ...

[Thai at Heart]

OK So how much time do i have to get to the NE to see if i can get some whole leaves? and where in the NE should i go? Nan?

Ubon, nong khaki for burley. Roi et for oriental

[Thai at Heart]

D-alot, do the growers age the whole leaves? whats the processing steps for the Thai cigarette industry? Do the farmers just sell the bulk leaves to a processor or cigarette manufacturer?

While the veins of the larger leaves (those at the lower part of the plant) do look pretty large and may not be suitable for use as a wrapper in the traditional sense. I'm wondering if the younger leaves at the middle or top of the plant would be better. Also is it possible to cut the sections out in between the veins on the large leaves to harvest 1.5" wide, but long strips to use as wrapper? normally this would be more appropriate for binder but hey, i'm just trying to think outside the box

There are processing factories.

[jacnl2000]

What not much people do know, besides my mother and me, is in the late 70s also a connection existed between La Paz in Boxtel and pipe tobacco seller the Douwe Egberts Koninklijke Tabaksfabriek Joure ( more specifically brand name Coopvaert DE ). Allow me to present one of those special packages ( one of my most favourate collectors items ) which originated NOT from Joure but came straight out the production fascility of La Paz in Boxtel:

I know it is a thought provoking picture, in many ways. So, the well known Dutch brand DE is not only connected to Jumbo DE coffee beans but also strongly to tobacco. The very special 50 gram package of FL. 1,95 shown in the picture above kept its excellent smell after more than 40 years! I do use this collectors item regularly, as a dog, yes, so only for feeling, looking and sniffing, so not for smoking, nor as snuff, nor am I going to use it for chewing ... lol ... Btw. todays exact taste of Jumbo DE beans in our homemade Dutch coffee does not really differ from those produced by much cheaper Lidl Arabica beans. Maybe these different brands of beans are using the same huge storage fascilities owned by only a small group of money makers today or maybe our very special recipy of making coffee at home is capable of overruling differences in qualities between beans available today, or maybe it is simply me getting old and a more precize realistic less fantastic view upon how todays world is working.