In the 19th century, the farmers of Agrinio cultivated mostly vineyards, while the local economy was defined by a high degree of introspection. It was extremely difficult for any local products to reach other markets since the town was landlocked and the road network was primitive (at best). In the case of Missolonghi, the nearest and largest port, it was easier to import wheat from Russia than buy it from the producers of Agrinio. In the 1870s, though, vineyards were slowly replaced by olive trees and tobacco, a product ideally suited to the local conditions. In 1878 local producers sent a notably fragrant tobacco to an exhibition of Greek products in Paris.