Chinese Province to Subsidize Tobacco Growing

Source from:  hnby.com.cn 12/20/2004

Central China's Henan Province will subsidize tobacco growing in the province, in an effort to arouse the enthusiasm of local farmers to produce tobacco. At a meeting on planning for tobacco production for 2005 held in the provincial capital city of Zhengzhou on December 15, the competent provincial government authorities decided to adopt a series of measures to encourage farmers to grow tobacco in 2005, including the extension of subsidies averaging 150 yuan per mu (18 U.S. dollars per 0.067 hectare). [img border=0 hspace="4" vspace="4" align="left" src=http://www.tobaccochina.com/english/picture/20041010103955.jpg] The subsidies will be used for intensive development of tobacco seedlings and for the purchase of chemical fertilizer, mulching film, pesticide, etc for tobacco growing, according to the government decision. In regions where there are sufficient financial resources, the local government can consider the extension of the aforesaid supplies to tobacco growers free of charge, the government decision said. In 2005, competent government authorities in Henan will strengthen efforts to generalize the use of applied technologies for tobacco growing in Henan and extend greater support to tobacco growers in the province in terms of soil improvement, the generalization and application of new tobacco varieties, intensive development of tobacco seedlings, balanced application of fertilizer, and the forecast and comprehensive control of pests and plant diseases in tobacco growing. Competent government authorities in the province are also considering the establishment of a leaf tobacco production risk foundation, and systems for the prevention of hail damage, in an effort to assist farmers in minimizing possible losses from tobacco growing, according to the government decision. As a result of increases in prices of other farm produce in China, Chinese farmers largely shifted tobacco production onto the growing of other farm produce in 2004. Enditem