There is no question about the socioeconomic role of tobacco in South Brazil. Grown in 490 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná, tobacco is produced on 260 thousand hectares, by 125 thousand integrated growers. A universe of approximately 500 thousand people is involved in this production cycle in the rural setting, reaching a gross income of R$ 11 billion, according to Afubra.

Good for the countryside, better for the town. In the 2022/23 crop year, production reached 606 thousand metric tons – of this total, 42% was produced in Rio Grande do Sul, 32% in Santa Catarina and 26% in Paraná, generating some 40 thousand direct jobs in the companies of the sector based in Brazil.

With such production volumes, Brazil stands out in the global scenario, ranking as second biggest producer and, since 1993, leader in leaf exports in the world. Of the total production, 90% is destined for the international market. Clients from all over the globe – 107 countries – are supplied by Brazilian tobacco. In 2023, the exports of the sector reached 512thousand metric tons and total revenue of US$ 2.729 billions/FOB.