STMA Holds National Leaf Tobacco Work Symposium

Source from:  STMA News 11/05/2008

The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) - the regulator of China's tobacco industry - held a national leaf tobacco work symposium in Beijing on October 27-28, in which STMA Director-General Jiang Chengkang delivered a keynote speech, and STMA Deputy Director-General He Zehua gave a work report. In his speech, Jiang fully affirmed the achievements in the work of leaf tobacco production and trade made so far this year, and comprehensively analyzed the current situation facing leaf tobacco production and trade in China. Jiang said that the work of leaf tobacco production and trade in 2008 has been obviously promoted, that substantial progress has been made in operating pilot projects of developing a modern tobacco agriculture in China, that leaf tobacco production and trade in China are both in a continued favorable trend of development, and that leaf tobacco production in China is in an 11th consecutive year of steady development. Meanwhile, the STMA chief pointed out that leaf tobacco production in China now faces a series of new problems and contradictions: that some tobacco-growing regions have too high expectations of leaf tobacco production development, and have shown signs of blind development; that they do not have sufficient in-depth study of the new situation of and new problems in leaf tobacco production; and that they are yet to strengthen basic work of leaf tobacco production. Along with acceleration of efforts to develop a modern tobacco agriculture, new higher requirements have been raised on management over leaf tobacco production and trade in China, according to Jiang. In the speech, Jiang emphasized the guidelines and tasks for leaf tobacco production and trade in 2009: Firstly, in accordance with the general requirement of strict control and moderate tightness, annual leaf tobacco production quotas for 2009 will be brought under control and the annual leaf tobacco yield will be controlled and stabilized. All tobacco-growing regions must strictly abide by the annual leaf tobacco growing and purchase quotas issued by the State. All quotas must be distributed level to level in accordance with planning by the State. No arrangement for leaf tobacco production in excess of government quotas will be permitted. And secondly, efforts will be made to maintain the enthusiasm of farmers to grow tobacco. On the premise of this, the relationship between State leaf tobacco purchase price setting and standards for preproduction investment and the relationship between the construction and infrastructure facilities and construction of leaf tobacco production bases must be properly handled in making policies on leaf tobacco production and trade, and in regulating preproduction investment. Enditem