China: Tobacco-Growing Region Strengthens Education of Farmers

Source from:  Yunnan Daily newspaper 08/10/2009

The Honghe Ethnic Hani and Ethnic Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's tobacco-producing Yunnan Province is taking steps to strengthen the education of local tobacco growers to raise their educational level and improve the comprehensive quality, in the development of a modern tobacco agriculture in the prefecture. In 2009 alone, the Honghe Ethnic Hani and Ethnic Yi Autonomous Prefecture is planning to build 25 schools for the education of tobacco growers across the prefecture. So far, six schools have been built and put to operation. The move to establish schools for the education of tobacco growers, which is regarded as the first of its kind in China, has won extension support and commendation from all farmers in the region. The Honghe Ethnic Hani and Ethnic Yi Autonomous Prefecture is planning to invest 50 million yuan (7.15 million U.S. dollars) in building 150 schools for the education of tobacco growers in 69 townships in eight tobacco-growing counties and county-level cities in the prefecture over the next five years, in striving to attain the goal that each of the model villages for developing a modern tobacco agriculture and each of the tobacco-growing villages with a tobacco acreage of 1,500 mu (100 hectares) will have at least one school for the education of tobacco growers, and the goal that the operation of schools for the education of tobacco growers will cover all the tobacco-growing zones in the prefecture. So far, the Honghe Ethnic Hani and Ethnic Yi Autonomous Prefecture has already invested 13.5 million yuan (1.93 million U.S. dollars) in the establishment of schools for the education of tobacco growers in the prefecture. Besides the six schools already built and put to operation, the other nine schools to be built this year will be completed by the end of September. Enditem