The Italian agricultural supply chain of the Toscano cigar is growing: from 2020 to 2026, cultivated areas increased by 29% and the number of farmers involved by 33%. And the value of production per hectare recognized to farmers has almost doubled in five years (+93%).
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In this context, Manifatture Sigaro Toscano (MST) _ with majority shares held by companies headed by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who has been chairman since 2018, and by Piero Gnudi _ consolidates its leading role in the international Kentucky Dark Fire Cured tobacco supply chain, confirming itself as the only Italian industrial-sized company, among the main global operators for supply volumes of this variety. The company has also recorded growth: turnover increased from 116 million in 2021 to 143.2 million in 2025; with exports rising from 23.6 million to 52.4 million. Today it has 450 employees in Italy, a branch in the USA, and three sites worldwide.
After the decline recorded in the 2021-2022 biennium, the Toscano cigar supply chain has embarked on a path of constant growth since 2023. «We had years of slight decline _ explains Stefano Mariotti, CEO of MST _ after Covid, agricultural businesses faced financial difficulties that prevented them from restarting as they would have liked. Many of them needed to invest in technology and implement generational change. We leveraged these needs to relaunch the sector». It is not a matter of market problems, therefore, but a contraction in the supply of raw material: the prestigious Kentucky tobacco.
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In 2023, new supply contracts were launched, signed by MST with the main sector associations, which ensure increasingly better remuneration for agricultural products, support for businesses on technological innovation investment projects and in managing the generational transition from father to son. To support the supply chain (which totals 3,000 agricultural workers), MST has introduced a multi-level contribution system, linked to production performance and cultivated areas, in addition to a 50% advance on the value of supplies to ensure greater financial stability for agricultural businesses and a bonus dedicated to young farmers who choose to continue the family business. Companies that supply their tobacco to MST can also access digital technologies, IoT (Internet of Things) systems, and Artificial Intelligence solutions to improve production efficiency and cultivation sustainability. In 2025, the use of these tools resulted, among other things, in a 10% reduction in water consumption. Zero-interest bank loans are also available for businesses interested in investing in increasing production capacity and productivity.
The increase in prices recognized to farmers and the contribution system introduced by MST have made Kentucky tobacco processing attractive again, encouraging agricultural businesses to re-enter the supply chain with Manifatture Sigaro Toscano and supporting the expansion of cultivated areas. In 2026, the cultivated areas contracted with MST reached 1,533 hectares, compared to 1,190 in 2020, an increase of 29%. The number of farmers involved also increased, from 178 agricultural businesses in 2020 to 237 in 2026, an increase of 33%. The value of production per hectare (PLV), including the supplements paid by MST to farmers, increased from approximately 8,130 euros per hectare in 2020 to over 15,660 euros in 2025, registering a 93% increase.
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