STMA Deputy Director He Zehua: Tobacco Leaves Must Follow a Sustainable Development Path

 Introduction: What kind of situation is the tobacco leaf production industry currently facing? How can we promote the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production? What are the key points for the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production? What are the pathways to achieve this? Recently, the reporter specifically interviewed He Zehua, Deputy Director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.<\/p>

According to news from the Chinese e-cigarette information: Tobacco leaf production must adhere to a sustainable development path. Tobacco leaves are the material foundation for the survival and development of the tobacco industry, and tobacco leaf production is the “first workshop” of the industry. The sustainable development of tobacco leaf production is related to the overall development of the industry.

What kind of situation is the tobacco leaf production industry currently facing? How can we promote the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production? What are the key points for the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production? What are the pathways to achieve this? Recently, the reporter specifically interviewed He Zehua, Deputy Director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.

We must continue to advance further.

Since the idea of sustainable development in tobacco leaf production was proposed at the national tobacco leaf purchasing work conference in Liangshan, Sichuan in 2004, significant achievements have been made in the industry over nearly a decade of exploration and practice—maintaining stable development for 16 consecutive years; the proportion of high-quality tobacco purchased nationwide increased from 38.5% in 2004 to 56.5% in 2012, effectively supporting the rapid development of key cigarette brands; the scale, intensification, specialization, and informatization of tobacco leaf production have been comprehensively improved; and the enthusiasm of tobacco farmers for planting tobacco has fundamentally changed, achieving “voluntarily planting tobacco, easily planting tobacco, comfortably planting tobacco, and safely planting tobacco” in the base units.

While we see achievements, we must also recognize the new situations, changes, and challenges we face. “There is still considerable uncertainty in the tobacco leaf production industry,” He Zehua expressed concern.

Regarding this uncertainty, He Zehua stated that first, profound changes have occurred in agricultural production in China, entering a period of high investment, high cost, and high risk, with tightening resource and environmental constraints and a shortage of young labor. Second, the ecological environment continues to deteriorate, with frequent natural disasters, and some deep-seated issues in modern tobacco agriculture have not yet been fundamentally resolved. Third, tobacco leaf production requires significant investment, carries high risks, involves a large workforce, has high intensity, long cycles, long industrial chains, and is technology-intensive, making it urgent to address the major issue of reducing labor and costs while increasing efficiency. Fourth, the space for macro-control of tobacco leaf production is becoming increasingly limited and difficult due to the adjustment of agricultural industrial structure driven by new rural construction.

We must continue to advance further. In He Zehua's view, the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production is a long-term issue that requires persistent efforts. In response to the new situations and changes faced by the industry, he believes that only by addressing a series of closely related questions such as “what type of tobacco to plant, who will plant it, how to plant it, and why to plant it” can we truly ensure the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production and lay a more solid foundation for the industry's development.

What type of tobacco to plant—The foundation of sustainable development

In recent years, there has been a trend of tobacco leaf production gradually shifting to economically underdeveloped areas, mountainous regions, and high-altitude areas with relatively poor basic conditions, making the unsustainability of tobacco planting land a major contradiction restricting the development of modern tobacco agriculture.

He Zehua believes that the fundamental issue for the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production is to solve the question of “what type of tobacco to plant.”

Planting tobacco must address land use issues, ensure the use of good land for planting tobacco, and develop large-scale production. To solve the problem of “what type of tobacco to plant,” He Zehua pointed out that it is essential to actively explore scientific management and rational use of land resources.

“First, we must effectively implement the basic tobacco field system.” In this regard, He Zehua believes that we should achieve “three combinations”—combining with local agricultural industrial layout, combining with the construction of tobacco field infrastructure, and combining with crop rotation design and scientific rotation, effectively implementing the basic tobacco field system and protective measures, and truly reserving a batch of ecologically sound, well-equipped, stable, and long-term tobacco planting land resources.

“Second, we must pay attention to ecological selection and exploration.” He Zehua stated that “good ecology leads to good tobacco.” We should choose those areas with excellent ecological conditions, especially small ecological regions for planting tobacco. At the same time, we should pay close attention to exploring and developing new areas with the most suitable natural conditions, steadily advancing the ecological layout of tobacco leaves.

“Third, we must emphasize reasonable allocation and use.” He Zehua believes that major cigarette brands determine the large-scale production of tobacco leaves. To achieve bulk and homogenized production of high-quality tobacco leaves, we must actively explore land transfer, with a minimum standard of 500 acres in contiguous plots, developing thousands of acres and tens of thousands of acres, effectively increasing the scale.

“Fourth, we must focus on ecological maintenance and governance.” To achieve the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production, He Zehua believes that we must implement measures such as deep plowing, promoting green manure planting, and returning straw to the field, exploring soil improvement, and striving to maintain and preserve the ecological characteristics of tobacco planting areas, ensuring the sustainable production of land resources.

“Fifth, we must do a good job of scientific layout and planning.” In recent years, the Shaanxi Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Bureau (Company) has concentrated tobacco areas in southern Shaanxi, gradually reducing unsuitable tobacco areas, while suitable and high-quality tobacco areas are gradually concentrated, steadily increasing the output of main material tobacco areas and high-quality tobacco areas. He Zehua believes that in terms of scientific layout, provincial-level bureaus (companies) should consider long-term strategies and strive for reasonable planning under limited resource conditions.

Who will plant the tobacco—The key to sustainable development

This year, the Central No. 1 Document pointed out that we must respect and guarantee the primary position of farmers in production and operation, cultivating and expanding new types of agricultural production and operation organizations.

“The organizational form of tobacco leaf production must also adapt to the new changes in the situation,” He Zehua told the reporter. “How to solve the question of ‘who will plant the tobacco’ and form a socialized large-scale production system for tobacco planting, with planting at the household level, services at the community level, and professional cooperation, is the key to the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production.

“People are the most important resource for sustainable development. To form a socialized large-scale production system for tobacco leaves and promote the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production, we must vigorously cultivate operating entities, namely professional tobacco farmers (large-scale tobacco planters, family farms), accelerate the development of tobacco leaf service entities, namely comprehensive service-oriented tobacco farmer cooperatives, and actively cultivate production operation entities, namely agricultural industrial workers, while strengthening the construction of the tobacco technician team,” He Zehua further elaborated.

“From this year's Central No. 1 Document, developing large-scale tobacco planters and family farms is an inevitable trend for future agricultural development. To stabilize the tobacco farmer team, we must allow tobacco farmers to pursue a professional path. The entire industry should strive to cultivate a modern professional tobacco farmer team of 300,000 households with a planting scale of over 20 acres by 2015, with a planting area reaching 10 million acres and a production capacity of 30 million quintals.

“Regarding tobacco farmer cooperatives, through recent explorations, cooperatives have enabled tobacco farmers to achieve easy and simple tobacco planting through professional division of labor. The next step is to further integrate resources, accelerate the development of comprehensive service-oriented tobacco farmer cooperatives, and provide full-field, full-process, and all-around services to tobacco leaf operators, achieving reductions in labor and costs while increasing efficiency.

“The training of agricultural industrial workers should be based on their actual situation, with detailed training plans developed. We should train a group of skilled operators while also focusing on cultivating a versatile technical workforce to provide agricultural industrial workers that meet the needs of modern large-scale production for tobacco leaf production.

“The greatest advantage of Chinese tobacco leaves lies in the fact that every link in tobacco leaf production is guided by tobacco technicians. The tobacco technician team includes two teams from tobacco industrial and commercial enterprises. Commercial enterprises should focus on improving the quality of technicians, while industrial enterprises should participate in all aspects of tobacco leaf production, processing, and use, continuously improving technical and business levels.

How to plant tobacco—The pathway to sustainable development

Having identified what type of tobacco to plant and clarified who will plant it, the next question is how to plant tobacco?

“The current situation of ‘high investment, high cost, high risk’ in agricultural production determines that we must closely focus on the central issue of ‘reducing labor and costs while increasing efficiency’ and find the pathways for the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production,” He Zehua's answer is straightforward.

He Zehua believes that we can achieve reductions in labor and costs while increasing efficiency from five aspects:

First, we must lead with modern tobacco agriculture construction to achieve modern large-scale production. He Zehua believes that the fundamental way out for agricultural production lies in modernization. Tobacco leaf production should moderately develop family farms, improve the operational level of “two farms,” promote the scattered leaf drying method, and enhance mechanization levels. At the same time, we must adhere to a market-oriented approach to tobacco planting.

Second, we must use cooperatives as the main organizational form of production, promoting process-oriented, standardized, workshop-based, and specialized operations. He Zehua stated that the entire industry should strive to complete the construction of 600 to 800 high-level cooperatives by 2015, including about 150 industry demonstration cooperatives, achieving an average labor input of 15 workers per acre in base units, and further improving to higher levels.

Third, we must actively explore and implement lean production methods, vigorously promoting the transformation and upgrading of tobacco leaf production. “The state is focused on creating a ‘Chinese economic upgrade version’, and the industry is also seeking transformation and upgrading,” He Zehua said. “Lean production is a major initiative to promote the transformation and upgrading of tobacco leaf production. All units in the industry should earnestly learn from the experience of modern tobacco agriculture construction in Zhucheng, Shandong, and strive to make tobacco leaf production a pioneer and demonstrator in the agricultural field.

Fourth, we must always adhere to innovative development, continuously improving the technological and management levels of tobacco leaves. He Zehua firmly believes that exploration, practice, and innovation are always the main theme of tobacco leaf work and the basic experience for the sustainable development of tobacco leaves. The construction of modern tobacco agriculture has a long way to go, and technological innovation is endless.

Fifth, we must establish and improve the guarantee mechanism for modern tobacco leaf production. “The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party proposed to establish a policy-based agricultural insurance system. We should also implement disaster compensation insurance and continuously carry out the construction of tobacco field infrastructure, stabilize production input subsidies, and ensure that tobacco farmers can truly plant tobacco safely and securely.” In He Zehua's view, effectively safeguarding the interests of tobacco farmers is the foundation for building the “first workshop”.

Why plant tobacco—The premise of sustainable development

For a long time, the industry has continuously increased investment in tobacco field infrastructure, comprehensively promoted modern tobacco agriculture construction, and always placed the interests of tobacco farmers at the forefront, winning full recognition from a wide range of tobacco farmers and society, establishing a good industry image.

Especially since 70% of China's tobacco leaves are distributed in underdeveloped areas, planting tobacco is an important agricultural pillar industry in these regions, carrying the hopes of farmers' income increase, local development, and government tax revenue to some extent.

But what is the ultimate purpose of planting tobacco? He Zehua believes that “relying on the government to plant tobacco and relying on farmers to plant tobacco are fundamental conditions for the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production. However, in terms of the ultimate goal, the development of cigarette brands is the ultimate purpose of planting tobacco, which is implicit in the question.

“If the development needs of cigarette brands are not the goal or premise, the production of tobacco leaves will be unnecessary, and sustainable development will be an empty talk.” He Zehua further explained that “some units are very enthusiastic about increasing production scale for the sake of growth indicators, regardless of the pressure of total volume, which is unsustainable and not a scientific development attitude.

He Zehua believes that planting tobacco for the development of cigarette brands does not conflict with or contradict supporting local development and enriching tobacco farmers. Achieving the sustainable development of tobacco leaf production is the greatest protection of the interests of tobacco farmers and local communities.

Currently, as the costs of planting tobacco rise, land decreases, and the enthusiasm of tobacco farmers declines, many issues need our serious consideration and resolution. In this regard, He Zehua stated that we must adhere to a demand-oriented approach, firmly establish the direction of order agriculture development, so that tobacco farmers can be motivated, tobacco leaf production can achieve sustainable development, brand demand can be effectively met, and the interests of tobacco farmers can be fundamentally safeguarded.