Reaping Tunbac harvest stages (Saada 33)

Reaping and Harvesting of Tunbac (Saada 33)
There are a number of stages involved in the reaping and harvesting of tunbac products.

 

1. Picking
There are several steps to successfully picking tobacco leaves.
- The removal and destroying of the lower leaves on the sapling before its height reaches 50 cm.
- Picking the stem from the top and leaving 4 to 6 leaves per plant.
- Removing side buds from the stem whenever they appear. This process will continue for two months in order to insure buds do not grow.

 

2. Cutting and Drying
Once the side of the leaves begin to change color toward yellow, the leaves are cut using scissors or knives.

3. Spreading
After the leaves have been dried for two weeks they are spread into the shape of a spread hand. The leaves are gathered and placed on wooden boards before being regularly turned to ensure even drying. The leaves are positioned so that their tips are exposed to the air.

4. Packing
After one and a half months the tunbac is ready for packing. 30 kg of flat leaves are placed into each box and the parcels of leaves are sown together using hemp thread.

5. Storage
The tunbac is stored in a similar manner to tobacco and is kept in dry store rooms.