Cultural changes, people changing their habits and new trends, as well as cam-
paigns aimed at consumption restrictions, affected the production and the market
of the so-called rope and shredded tobacco. Correct? No, it is wrong. Totally wrong.
This sector, traditional almost in the entire Country, relying on the cultivation of
dark tobaccos, specific for “roll-your-own cigarettes” and for cut tobacco, does not
only resist but is on the rise nowadays. This is what is revealed by companies in dif-
ferent regions, including in big urban centers in the Southeast. To puff, enjoy a roll-
your-own, is not something of the past. It is something of the present and, very like-
ly, something of the future, nomatter how technology-oriented this futuremay be.
“We have managed to reach a 17-percent production increase last year and,
there is more, 35%, on average, in our distribution unit over the past years”, re-
veals Tiago Roque Pinheiro, general director of the Arapiraca company, based in
Bebedouro, region inRibeirãoPreto, nearly 400 kilometers fromthe capital city São
Paulo. These numbers are impacting, in sheer recession. “Crisis? What crisis?”, he
jokes. With 33 years in the market, Arapiraca was created by Tiago’s father, João
the rise
Rope tobacco, fine cut tobacco, shredded tobacco, roll-
your-own cigarettes, and other products continue popular.
The segment grows and gets stronger in sheer recession
Puffing on
The sector attracts
aficionados
from different
markets, and targets
Roque Pinheiro, in a partnership with Antônio
Laércio Zaneratto, and deals exclusively with
rope tobacco, shredded or cut tobacco, just to
mention a few products found in smoke shops,
whichwere added over the years.
Tiago’s firm belief with regard to the pres-
ent and future perspectives of roll-your-own cig-
arettes, cigars and other items, like the recent
options of blends made from natural herbs (in-
cluding organic), is clear in the structure of the
company. Arapiraca, whose name is related to
the “capital of dark tobaccos” in the interior of
Alagoas, employs 200 people in its operations,
from field to processing and distribution, and oc-
cupies 7 thousand squaremeters under roof. Be-
sides the acquisition and processing of the to-
bacco in question, in Arapiraca, whose product
is now popular all over Brazil, both in big urban
center and in the interior, was created a unit re-
sponsible for distribution and commercial con-
tacts, known as Cifal.
Divulgação
54
