<strong>China: STMA Holds Meeting on Development of Characteristic High-quality Leaf Tobacco</strong>

Source from:  TobaccoChina Online 04/09/2013

The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) – the regulator of China's tobacco industry – held in Beijing from February 28 to March 1 a national conference on the work of development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco, which was also a symposium on leaf tobacco production technologies.

The meeting summed up the work of development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco and leaf tobacco production technologies in 2012, and made planning for the relevant work in 2013.

STMA Deputy Director-General He Zehua attended the meeting and delivered a keynote speech.

In his speech, He Zehua fully affirmed the work of China's tobacco industry to develop characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco over the past 10 years. He pointed out that since the tobacco industry launched the work of developing characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco, characterization of quality has become a major highlight in leaf tobacco production, the establishment of exclusive bases for the production and supply of high-quality leaf tobacco has contributed to opening up a new path for leaf tobacco production oriented toward market demand, scientific-technological progress has become a crucial process in the development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco, and cooperation between the manufacturing and commercials sectors of the tobacco industry in joint establishment of exclusive supply and production bases has become a successful experience in promoting the work of leaf tobacco to higher levels.

The work of development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco has contributed to changing the conception about leaf tobacco quality, setting up advanced production ideas, effectively easing structural contradictions, powerfully supporting rapid development of well-known cigarette brands, making remarkable achievements and generating far-reaching significance, according to He.

He Zehua emphasized that in 2013, the tobacco industry of China will continue well managing the development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco and generalization of applicable technologies hereof; highlight ecological safety in keeping with development of characteristics and improvement of quality; apply Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) management on a full scale, with satisfaction of demand for the production and supply of cigarettes of competitive brands as an orientation, with execution of major exclusive projects in support, and with development of units of exclusive high-quality leaf tobacco production and supply bases as grounds; strengthen the integration and generalization of advanced applicable technologies; promote in-depth integration between systematization, regularization and sequencing; and promote the development of characteristic high-quality to higher levels.

Firstly, efforts shall be made to further enhance the awareness about the development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco; and take the development of characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco as a long-term endeavor and as an orientation and focus of energy for future development of leaf tobacco production, in order to make accomplishments hereof in a sound, practical and in-depth way.

Secondly, efforts shall be made to continue strengthening the work of developing characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco.

Thirdly, efforts shall be made to closely link ecology with characteristics, to realize close integration between them from the height of sustainable development, to accelerate the development of characteristic, advantageous and ecological leaf tobacco growing zones, and to focus energy on strengthening the work of ecological maintenance.

Fourthly, with GAP as a means, efforts shall be made to strengthen safe production of leaf tobacco, promote regularization of GAP on a full scale, adhere to taking safe production as an important guarantee for characterization of quality, and to give greater highlight to the safety of leaf tobacco.

And fifthly, importance shall be attached to the integration and generalization of technologies for the development of units of exclusive bases for growing characteristic high-quality leaf tobacco, realizing combination between execution of major exclusive projects and production technologies, and keeping improving the quality of leaf tobacco. Meanwhile, great importance shall be attached to changes of the natural environment, establishing complete systems of technologies for disaster prevention and relief, strengthening the integration of unit technologies in keeping with efforts to rationally extend the period of field growth, and strengthening the research of technologies applicable by the tobacco industry.

The participants in the meeting also included leaders of the relevant departments and units of the STMA, leaders in charge of the work of leaf tobacco and chiefs of leaf tobacco departments with provincial-level tobacco monopoly administrations (tobacco companies) in various tobacco-producing regions, leaders in charge of the work of raw materials and chiefs of the raw materials and technology departments of various China Tobacco regional corporations, leaders of some prefecture-level tobacco monopoly administrations (tobacco companies ), and experts from some tobacco science research institutes. Enditem