China:Tobacco-Growing Region Gets Good Report on Leaf Tobacco Production in 2008

01/07/2009

Southwest China’s Guizhou Province - a key tobacco-growing region in China - got a good report card on leaf tobacco production in 2008, selling to the State 7.22 million dan (361,000 tons) of leaf tobacco, with the leaf tobacco sales volume reaching a 10-year high, and with a sharp increase in annual taxes on leaf tobacco, according to data released by Guizhou Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Administration. In 2008, the tobacco growers in Guizhou Province earned a total of 5.115 billion yuan (730.7 million U.S. dollars) in income from tobacco growing, an increase of 2.254 billion yuan (322 million U.S. dollars) over 2007, with the average income per tobacco-growing farm household reaching 16,034 yuan (2,290 U.S. dollars), up 7,460 yuan (1,065.7 U.S. dollars) year-on-year. In the year, Guizhou Province generated a total of 1.073 billion yuan (153.3 million U.S. dollars) in annual taxes on leaf tobacco, a sharp increase of 443 million yuan (63.3 million U.S. dollars) year-on-year. The leaf tobacco sales volume of 7.22 million dan (361,000 tons) meant an increase of 1.542 million dan (77,100 tons) over 2007. The average unit leaf tobacco sales price in Guizhou in the year reached 678.2 yuan (96.9 U.S. dollars) per dan (per 50 kilograms), an increase of 173.2 yuan (25 U.S. dollars) per dan (per 50 kilograms) year-on-year. In 2008, the tobacco acreage in Guizhou reached a high of 2.9787 million mu (198,580 hectares). Enditem