How are tobacco leaves graded and prepared for sale?

After the curing process, tobacco leaves are conditioned in humidified rooms to prevent breakage before being prepared for sale.1

Grading and Packaging

The level of detail in grading depends on local customs and the type of tobacco:
* Elaborate Grading: In places like the United States, flue-cured tobacco is graded by leaf position, color, size, maturity, and soundness, with each grade baled separately.1
* Simple Grading: In many developing countries, buyers focus on the proportions of grades within a lot rather than individual leaf quality.1
* Bundling: Most tobacco entering world trade is assembled into "hands"—bundles of 15 to 30 leaves tied with a single leaf wrapped around the butts.1

Post-Purchase Preparation

Once purchased, most tobacco (excluding aromatic and cigar types) is typically regraded and redried. Manufacturers often remove the stem—a process known as stemming—before adding the precise moisture content required for aging and packing the leaves into cases or hogsheads. Aromatic tobaccos undergo a different process, involving factory-grading and an elaborate in-the-bale fermentation before reaching the manufacturer.1