Tiruchi’s cigar industry goes up in smoke

Manufacturing establishments in Woraiyur like Romano, Hunter & Co and RB Syndicate were once household names in the cigar industry, which even rivalled the Cuban variety. Local resident S. Damodaran (40) recalls the time he and his friends used to sit for hours watching boxes of different shapes and sizes being made to pack cigars.

Today, Viswanthan (70) is the only one who continues to make boxes at Rs 35 to pack 25 cigars each.

According to S. Vaidyanathan (59), involved in this trade for three generations, low-quality cigars that cost 50 paise each were made in parts of Tiruchi district, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and Andhra Pradesh. But the costlier cigars were purchased mainly by servicemen.

High-quality cigars were of two types. While the superior brands cost Rs 5 per piece, other brands cost Rs 7 for a pack of fives at the manufacturing end. But traders sold them at higher rates, Vaidayanathan added.

He said low-quality cigars were made by locals who were given tobacco by agents. They were paid Rs 90 for making 500 cigars which could be completed in a day. However, the rates for manufacture of superior brands was more with Rs 80 being paid for 250 a day.

Where the industry once employed more than 2,500 people, today they number less than 250 and only about 10 units exist. Cheaper cigarettes sounded the death knell for this industry which has not got much help from either the state or Central governments.