NELSON TOBACCO CROP BOUGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 71, 15 June 1927, Page 8

NELSON TOBACCO CROP BOUGHT

WILLS’S BIG DEAL (From Our Resident Reporter J WELLINGTON, Tuesday. An important deal was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. O. J. Hawken, to-night, is the purchase from growers of practically the whole of the Nelson tobacco crop by the firm of W. D. and H. O. Wills. The deal is the result of negotiations which have been going on for some time, and which was finalised when Mr. Brodie, manager of the Wills’ firm, visited Nelson a few days ago. Tobacco-growing began in Nelson this year for export under a Government guarantee of 2s 3d a lb gross for yellow lemon-coloured leaf and Is 4d a lb for darker leaf, up to a total of £3,500. which represented a crop of something over 20 tons. All tobacco had to be grown under Government supervision. The actual crop was a little over 10 tons, and this, after discussion with the Department of Horticu!t”re, growers have sold to '.he Wills’ firm for between £I,BOO and £1.900 at the guaranteed price. Special samples of th » leaf ar* to be selected and sent home, and if the price realised on the London market 4 greater than the guarantee price Wills Ltd., has undertaken to make up the difference to the grower The tobacco is now being graded and packed in Nelson. It is learned that in the earlier :rtage* there was some difficulty over leaf which had been grown late and waa sun-dried, having gone a little mouldy, but the firm ultimately decided to include this in the purchase.