VICTORIAN TOBACCO INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 20137, 30 March 1929, Page 2

VICTORIAN TOBACCO INDUSTRY

DEMAND FOR LIGHT LEAF Changes of fashion in smoking front dark to light tobaccos in the last few years have bad a serious effect on tho primary section of the industry in A ictoria, states the Melbourne ‘ Argus.’ Growers of tobacco leaf now find themselves confronted with a demand lor light, bright leaf, which, throjigli having been encouraged to grow tKc dark variety, they cannot satisfy. There is only one buyer of tobacco leaf in Australia, the I tritisb-Australasian Toba«ci* Company Pty., Ltd. Tobacco growers in Hie Ovens and King River districts are greatly perturbed at the decision' of the company to buy considerably reduced quantities of the dark leal ami at its demand for larger quantities of the light variety. In addition it is claimed that the price offered for Hu* lighter product is not sufficiently JiiglA to encourage its production. The aero yield is substantially less than that off Die dark variety, hut the price paid by the company, it is claimed, is now enough to encourage growers to produce this kind. To inquire into Hus phase of the industry the Minister lor Agriculture (Mr Pennington), who was accompanied by the tobacco expert of tho department (Mr 'Temple Smith), visited the tobacco-growing areas or the north-east of \ ictoria. Meetings ot growers wore held at .Markwood ami Myrtle ford, and several tobacco-produc-ing farms were inspected. One ol tho most prosperous tobacco-producing in operties of Die north-east inspected wai that of Mr F. Kneebone, ol Everlon, This farmer has nearly eighty aerrt under tobarco Du's season, and too "■renter portion gives excellent pioinise, “Explaining the position to grows a.> Markwuod, ”Mr I'crmtiJgton said Hiaii under an agreement thnj had .inst expired Die Bi'itish-AnstrahfKnni Tobacco Company had undertaken to buy ]..)() .« (lOlll'h of leaf annualy, made up ol ho”•* imOlh of lemon leaf at 2s Co ;l 9'» fi.jd.BOOlh of bright mahogany Of a Mi. and 308.(KH.)1b of Number 1 dark at H (id a lh. and JOO.OBBIh of Number ‘-5 hri'-dit and dark leaf at from Gd to M'n He"had been informed by the company that it had several years’ stocks on. hand, and that for the years 1.920-,,8 and PHI its reqnircinenls would he ar follow For 1920, HoO.tifJUlb of lemon leaf, for which 2s Gd a lh would h<*| paid: ToB.BUBIh bright mahogany, at; 2>; 200,0001 h No. 1 dark, at h Gd a. ]h and 2BB.BBU!h of No. 2 bright !, iul. dark leaf al ml to 9d a lh. For 10-M Dm requirements would he: joO.OOBOa lemon leaf. 1,1)00.0091 b bright »maho* pnny, and 150.0001 h No. I dark. Tin* ITli requirements would be similar L» those’’of jO.'lO, Severe criticism ol (lie reduced re* qniremonls of the dark leal were miuh’i by growers. It was stated ihat oimn* litics ot : American tail, oi no holier quality than the Victorian product, wore imported at Isa lh in excess of that paid for the \ ietoi'ian leal. Glowers considered that the _ company should, pay them Die f>ame price as tliat pant for the American leaf, and that Dio price of Die lemon-culourGd vanciy should he increased. Mr Temple Smith said that Hie cl isclosed profits ol ibc ! iri lis 1 1 -u l lr.*»l asian T'obaeco (.oinpany last veaP .a mounted to £910.000. Disaster awaited the growers if the company failed to increase the figure it paid loi’ Australian leaf. Mr Pennington promised that tho position would he closely inquired into, and that lie would make representations to the Federal Ministry with * view to action being taken to assist growers through tho tariff. SATISFACTOK Y EXPFdt IMENTS. Experiments carried out in all ot tin* States into the tobacco-growing industry have, according to a reply given, by Mr Bruce (Prime Minister) to a. question in the House ot Representatives. to Mr Jones (V.), given satisfactory indications. The work, said Air Bruce, was being carried on under an agreement, between the Commonwealtli and State Ministries and tin* British-Australasian Tobacco Company. Over a period oi three years the company was providing £21),001) rateable with the sum ot £IO,BUB to be toninl by the Commomvelth and State Minisleries. If at the end of the three years the results warranted inrthcr investigation. the company would provide a further £30,000, and the Ministries a, similar amount.

‘‘ The experiments-.-’ added Mr Bruce, “are obviously of such a nature as to make it impossible to definite results within the short period in which they have been conducted, but valuable data have boon obtained, and in some instances hopeful indications are manifesting themselves.”