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The National Manufacture of Tobacco and Matches (RNTA) aims at promoting the culture of Tunisian tobacco for different reasons:

Preserve the Tunisian typical taste by introducing local varieties in the composition of Tunisian cigarettes;

Provide work opportunities to more than 6582 planters in the farming zone and assist them through 12 centers of culture,

Progressively limit the importation of tobacco leaves, what saves important foreign currency reserves.

Local varieties :

The brown “Arbi” tobacco: local variety cultivated in the North, in the North West and in the Cap Bon North East);

The light “Burley & Orient” tobacco: Varieties imported from various origins and recently cultivated in the country’s northern regions. Following the conclusive tests, the cultivated surfaces are more and more extents.

Snuff taking tobacco: the “Souffi” variety cultivated in the country’s north east and south east.

Tobacco varieties cultivated in Tunisia (Year 2009)

The following table summarizes production growth per type of tobacco over the last six years:

Evolution of the production

Cultivating centers :
The manufacture exploits 12 cultivating centers in different regions throughout the country providing:

Technical and financial support of growers,
Research to improve the efficiency of newly introduced varieties,
The purchase of harvests,
“Fermentation” and storage of tobacco in leaves

On the other hand, and in order to provide the best possible assistance to tobacco farmers, the Manufacture has provided them with a Guide for the culture of tobacco.

»» See the Guide for the culture of tobacco