Specialized Production Cooperatives Established in Tobacco-Producing Province

Source from:  Tobacco online china 03/08/2009

A total of four cooperatives specializing in the production of flue-cured tobacco have recently been established in Baoshan City in southwest China's Yunnan Province - the largest tobacco-producing region in China known as the kingdom of tobacco, signifying that Baoshan has taken a giant step forward in innovation of the flue-cured tobacco production model in the city. In accordance with the principle of nongovernmental operation and management and the principle of benefiting local residents, the four cooperatives are intended to increase the income of local tobacco growers. On the basis of voluntariness and mutual benefit, they will provide members with technical services in terms of tobacco seedlings development, tobacco growing, leaf tobacco curing and leaf tobacco sales to the State. In the rest of 2009, Baoshan City will proceed to establish 340 more cooperatives specializing in the production of flue-cured tobacco in the tobacco growing villages in the city each capable of selling over 1,000 dan (50 tons) of leaf tobacco to the State annually. Playing the role of carriers, the cooperatives specializing in the production of flue-cured tobacco will help their members bring their respective advantages into full play by establishing service teams specializing in tobacco seedlings development, tractor ploughing, protection of crops, etc. The cooperatives will have rational division of labor and will manage to improve their specialized service, thus to reduce the labor intensity of tobacco growers, increase their income, lower costs and increase efficiency. Enditem