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Tobacco growth and production are very important subjects to pipe smokers. Before you click off of this post and think to yourself, well, duh, Kayla, why else would I be on Smokingpipes, I'd like to elaborate on this blanket statement. Without the hard-working people who tirelessly strive to grow, cultivate, and prepare tobacco for use in the blends we know and love, we wouldn't be able to partake in this unique hobby, so we naturally have an interest in them. Tobacco's importance, however, goes beyond the realm of pipe-tobacco users; its impact is felt in the economic and social aspects of an array of tobacco-producing regions and countries, one of which is the focus of this post: Macedonia.

A Brief Background On Macedonia

Macedonia is a historic region in the Balkan peninsula, generally distinguished by six countries: North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, and former administrative subdivisions of northern Greece. The first of these countries, North Macedonia, is where this varietal is found.

It is one of the eight major tobacco-producing countries in the world with a share of 3%, as noted in the study, "Tobacco production in Macedonia at the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco."

An article called "North Macedonia: A Reliable Oriental Tobacco Supplier," from Tobacco Asia magazine states, "Some people are not even aware that such a country exists. Yet there it is, a tiny nation of just under two million people located right smack in the center of the Balkan region, land-locked and enveloped by Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania."

As for tobacco production in this region, the area that is most pronounced is the city of Prilep in North Macedonia, a country located in southeastern Europe (prior to 2019, this country was known as the Republic of Macedonia).

Tobacco Growth In Prilep

Prilep is considered the Macedonian tobacco capital. A center for tobacco and cigarette tobacco growth, among other exports, like metal processing, textiles, and timber, "the fertile Prilep Basin, or Pelagonija lowland, is a centre for fruit and tobacco growing and leatherworking," according to Brittanica.

"The vast bulk of tobacco grown in North Macedonia is of the Prilep varietal, which accounts for close to 100% of the country's annual output," as noted by Tobacco Asia. Prilep is among the highest-yielding strains when compared to others in neighboring countries, with around 1.8 tons of cured leaf per hectare (a unit of measurement equivalent to 10,000 square meters).

Prilep leaf is a result of research and development at North Macedonia's Tobacco Institute, located in the city of the same name. "This research aimed at adapting the variety to the specific local microclimate and soil conditions, which created a tobacco type that not only provides good farm yields but also possesses exceptional aroma and smoking characteristics," stated Robert Cvejoski, the agronomy manager at Alliance One International (AOI), in an interview from the article in Tobacco Asia.

However, there are some drawbacks to this varietal. "Prilep is so highly tailored to those particular conditions that it is very challenging to cultivate it in other regions with different environmental factors," according to the same article.

Prilep is typically grown and harvested in small farm settings. It is sun-cured to enhance the natural flavors of the tobacco, much like other Orientals. This process does tend to reduce the nicotine content of tobacco, yet adding it to a blend brings forward distinctive flavors and aromas that are incomparable to other families.

A presentation from 2018 on The World of Oriental Tobacco at Altria highlights some of the specifics of Macedonian tobacco, including Prilep and Yaka leaf. Prilep is small-to-medium in leaf size, with an elongated oval shape and a medium body. This tobacco is high in oil, another quality that defines Orientals, with good elasticity.

The color of Prilep leaves ranges from orange to dark orange with red nuances, and offers a moderately dark aroma with some sweetness to taste. "The (annual) yield is 1,700-1,900 kg," according to the Altria presentation.

Other North Macedonian Varietals

Aside from this most prolific type of North Macedonian tobacco, other tobacco varieties grow in the Macedonian region, such as Orientals like Yaka and Basma and tobacco defined as semi-Oriental and Broadleaf.

It is to be noted that when discussing North Macedonian tobacco, Prilep is the star of the show, and is the varietal that appears in blends with Macedonian varietals featured, as stated in Tobacco Asia:

Macedonian tobacco is a major Oriental, as noted in an abstract from Tobacco Prevention and Cessation from the 8th ENSP European Conference on Tobacco Control: "Macedonia is the second largest producer of Oriental leaf worldwide, just behind Turkey."

Orientals as a whole are a tricky tobacco family to pin down due to the socio-political situation in the region of Macedonia, Turkey, and other Balkan countries. "Turkish" refers to what used to be known as the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over the historic production areas of Thrace and Macedonia until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, now divided among North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey.

For more on this type of tobacco and the socio-economical implications there, check out a closer look into Turkish tobacco.

However, this information about Turkish tobacco can aid us in understanding the properties in flavor, strength, and so forth of other Orientals, like Prilep, Yaka, and Basma, due to the similar climate and growing processes, such as sun-curing.

"Orientals are small plants that are labor intensive, with an array of varieties spanning countries, grown in hot and dry summer months. They are small and aromatic, with elastic leaves important for American blend cigarettes," according to the Altria presentation.

Macedonian Flavor Profile & Blends

With that being said, this variety of tobacco is complex in flavor. It is much like its Oriental counterparts, with floral, spicy, sweet, tangy, smoky, and herbal notes to be discovered. It has a rich and pronounced flavor and aroma, with a mild room note.

This leaf is intended for blending with other varietals as it is full of flavor and low nicotine content, typically prepared in a ribbon-cut orientation.

Those who love Oriental tobacco might notice that Macedonian is featured in some popular blends, including Balkan Sasieni, blended with Macedonian Orientals, Latakia, and Golden and Red Virginias; and Savinelli's Brunello Flake, presenting Virginias with Burley and Macedonian Orientals.

Chances are that an Oriental enthusiast has tried Macedonian tobacco without even realizing it since it is very similar in flavor profile to other Oriental and Balkan tobacco, such as Turkish leaf.

Environmental Factors

Much like other Orientals, such as Turkish leaf, the social and economic landscape in North Macedonia can make production and distribution all the more difficult, as well as environmental factors. The impact of the climate, with inconsistent rain that results in droughts, has caused crops to fail. "Frequent and intensive droughts exacerbate social and economic conditions in the rural parts of southern and eastern Macedonia," according to ClimateChangePost.

Though Prilep leaf is small and oily to protect itself from the direct sunlight and hotter weather, adapting to survive in these conditions, rain is still needed for optimal yield.

In relation to overall crops in North Macedonia, ClimateChangePost stated: "For example, prolonged drought in 1993 damaged most of the crop yields and in many cases resulted in a total crop failure. At the countrywide level, the damage caused by this drought amounted to 7.6% of the total national income."

Socio-Economic Implications

With these climatic conditions in mind, it is important to note that North Macedonia's economy is mainly fueled by agriculture. "Tobacco has been an important crop even when North Macedonia still was part of the former Yugoslavia before declaring independence on September 8, 1991," according to Tobacco Asia.

Tobacco in North Macedonia occupies 3.4% of the land area, with an average yield of 1.270 kg/ha. 20.663 tonnes were exported from Macedonia in 2015, according to the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco:

With such tight regulations, it is challenging to get a hold of Macedonian tobacco for use in pipe-tobacco blends, considering that much of this varietal is used for cigarettes and for domestic purposes.

Macedonian Oriental crops have attracted markets in Europe and the U.S., but the Balkan country's produce outside of these key markets is reportedly obscure.

The major international merchants this varietal has attracted are Socotab, AOI, Nicos Gleoudis Kavex SA, and Star Agritech International, according to the article from Tobacco Asia: "Socotab and AOI both have set up dedicated local companies in the country to secure their respective slices of the pie."

Socotab has had a presence in what is today's North Macedonia as far back as the early 1950s, with a foothold in Yugoslavia, even introducing these Oriental tobaccos to the U.S. market for the first time.

In an interview with Christos Savvidis, general manager of the North Macedonian Socotab, Socotab DOOEL, in this same article from Tobacco Asia, he stated, "...in 2010, Socotab decided to invest further and build a new modern processing and storing facility near Bitola in North Macedonia."

Similarly, AOI has had a place in North Macedonia for decades, as noted by Stelios Grigoriadis, managing director of Alliance One North Macedonia AD in Tobacco Asia: "AOI's presence in North Macedonia traces back to 1998, when [our] predecessor company, DI-MON International, first entered the market."

These stakeholders in the tobacco industry in North Macedonia have enabled us to experience Macedonian varietals in Oriental blends, providing the unique flavors that add so much to our favorite mixtures. Without their investments in these agricultural exports, this tobacco would not be accessible to blenders elsewhere.

However, while these companies have their shares and investments in tobacco farming, unfortunately, there has been a decline in tobacco production in North Macedonia over the years. Despite around 95% of farmers having a contract with a leaf buyer, a study conducted by Analytica on "The Economics of Tobacco Farming In North Macedonia" found that a large percentage of these farmers are living in poverty:

This survey used a nationally representative sample comprising 806 farming households from 14 municipalities in the top tobacco-producing regions in the country, assessing tobacco farmers in 2021, former tobacco farmers, and farmers who cultivate other agricultural crops, not tobacco.

The results showed that around half of these tobacco farmers were not turning a profit and were reportedly unsatisfied with tobacco sales:

The government of North Macedonia has traditionally supported farmers with subsidies, but in 2006, there were some changes made nationally:

On top of this change, recently a new strategy was adopted by the government for tobacco production from 2021-2027 "in which there is envisaged indirect support for tobacco farmers, but preparations will be made with education and counseling for future change to other crops," according to the Analytica study.

Within this study, many of the farmers stated that they grow tobacco because that is what they have always done. "The survey results and interviews indicate that farmers continue to grow tobacco because they do not know anything else."

Despite the historical growth of Oriental tobacco in North Macedonia, this tobacco is not the main ingredient in any cigarette, never mind tobacco blends intended for pipe smoking. "Perhaps because of this dynamic, farmers do not grow tobacco for mass production," as stated in the study.

Although the government has suggested that tobacco cultivation is profitable for farmers, the results of this study have indicated otherwise, encouraging tobacco farmers "to reorient and grow another crop or pursue other economic activities in their local economy (such as wage work or small business)."

Tobacco production, though on the decline in North Macedonia based on economic and environmental factors, has continued to impact the lives of farmers in this country, and the traditional Macedonian region. With new regulations and plans in motion, the future of this exotic varietal is quite unstable.

Yet, with these uncertainties and changing tides for farmers in the region, tobacco production has still remained a key export in this small country. With this information in mind, the nuances and distinctive properties of this rare tobacco are even more worthy of savoring and delighting in for as long as we can get our hands on even a taste of this Oriental varietal.

Bibliography

• Brinke, W. ten. (n.d.). Droughts. Climate Change Post.
• Coresta. (2018). The World of Oriental Tobacco . - CORESTA Altria.
• Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Prilep. Encyclopædia Britannica.
• M., M. G. ; D., & M., M. G. D. (2016). Tobacco production in Macedonia. CORESTA Conducted at the University of "St. Kliment Ohridski," Bitola, Scientific Tobacco Institute in Prilep, Republic of Macedonia
• Mijovic Hristovska, B., Mijovic Spasova, T., Trpkova-Nestorovska, M., Tashevska, B., Trenovski, B., Kozeski, K. (2023). The economics of tobacco farming in North Macedonia. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, 9(Supplement 2), A42.
• Schmid, T. (2024, February 27). North Macedonia: A reliable Oriental Tobacco Supplier. Tobacco Asia.