STMA Urges Strengthening of Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Tobacco Production

Source from:  Chongqing Tobacco newspaper 10/21/2004

The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), at a meeting on leaf tobacco production and supply held in southwest China's Chongqing City on October 17, called for the strengthening of development of infrastructure facilities for leaf tobacco production in major tobacco producing across China. [img border=0 hspace="4" vspace="4" align="left" src=http://www.tobaccochina.com/english/picture/041013wushan01.jpg] To reach sustainable development of the business of leaf tobacco production in China, steps will be taken to strengthen the development of infrastructure facilities for leaf tobacco production over a future period of time, according to the meeting. Firstly, efforts will be made to ensure that investment in leaf tobacco production as part of the leaf tobacco pricing system will be practically used for leaf tobacco production. Secondly, the after-tax profits earned by commercial enterprises of the tobacco industry will be mainly used for the development of infrastructure facilities for leaf tobacco production. And thirdly, in making relevant policies, the STMA will extend support to financially difficult tobacco-growing regions. According to the meeting, the situation of leaf tobacco production in China in 2004 is obviously better than that of 2003, with the total of leaf tobacco yield expected to top 34 million dan (1.7 million tons) by the end of 2004. During the meeting, the participants heard reports on leaf tobacco production in six major tobacco-growing regions in China, including Yunnan and Chongqing in southwest China, put forward suggestions for solving existing problems in leaf tobacco production this year, and proposed measures adoptable in the next year. In an address to the meeting, STMA Director-General Jiang Chengkang fully affirmed the success of China's tobacco industry in leaf tobacco production in 2004, and urged all levels of the tobacco industry to strengthen technical research of leaf tobacco production, pay attention to the collection and analysis of basic data on leaf tobacco production, and strive to establish a scientific management and appraisal system with modern technologies. Enditem