China: Yunnan Prefecture Emerges as Large Air-Cured, Sun-Cured Tobacco Production Base

Source from:  TobaccoChina Online 08/08/2011

The ethnic Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture in Dehong of southwest China's tobacco-producing Yunnan Province has emerged as the largest air-cured and sun-cured leaf tobacco production base in China, after undergoing rapid development of leaf tobacco production over the past six years, with its annual high-quality air-cured and sun-cured leaf tobacco output being the highest in the country. So far in 2011, the ethnic Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture has grown more than 92,500 mu (6,166.7 hectares) of tobacco for air-curing and sun-curing, and has harvested 280,500 dan (14,025 tons) of leaf tobacco, both reaching the highest in China. Also so far this year, the prefecture has generated 216 million yuan (33.2 million U.S. dollars) in agricultural output value, and 45.0937 million yuan (6.94 million U.S. dollars) in leaf tobacco tax, with the income of tobacco growers reaching 5,971.82 yuan (918.8 U.S. dollars) per household, up 125 yuan (19.2 U.S. dollars) per capita year-on-year. Since the introduction of fine tobacco varieties into Dehong in 2006, the production of air-cured and sun-cured leaf tobacco has gradually turned out to be an emerging new business in the prefecture. So far, 24 townships in the prefecture have been involved in the development of air-cured and sun-cured leaf tobacco production zones. In 2011 alone, the prefecture has invested 60.57 million yuan (9.32 million U.S. dollars) in the construction of infrastructure facilities for leaf tobacco production in the region. Meanwhile, in accordance with the market demand, the prefecture has kept developing new tobacco varieties suitable for air-curing or sun-curing, including the yellow variety, and operating model tobacco growing projects, in guaranteeing the development of leaf tobacco production in coordination with the requirement of cigarette making enterprises. Enditem