Last Australian Tobacco Crop Plowed Under

Source from:  tobaccofarmquarterly.com Dec. 12, 2006 12/14/2006

The last tobacco to be legally grown in Australia was recently plowed into the ground at Beerwah, Queensland, reports the Sunshine Coast Daily. The destruction brought to an end an industry that started in the 1950s and in its heyday supported 70 farms in Southeast Queensland. The closure of the industry was inevitable after deregulation in 1996 saw Australian content in cigarettes drop from a mandated 55 percent to less than 20 percent. In September, British American Tobacco Australia, which controlled 65 percent of Australian production, announced that it would not extend contracts due to expire in 2008. It then offered its growers a closure package based on the remainder of their contracts. Philip Morris decided to also close local production. Enditem