Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/658237
tobaccoasia 63 rainy season and a dry season. If tobacco is transplanted in April, as is typical for most areas in Yunnan province, it would be im- possible to harvest tobacco leaf for curing because of the wet sea- son from May to September. Therefore, the window for tobacco growth is limited to January-June. Unfortunately, there are usually several very cold days in early January when the frost could kill the transplanted tobacco seedlings. To tackle the issues with cold in January, a key innovation is the technology for growing transplanted seedlings under plas- tic film. Transplanted tobacco seedlings are placed in a shallow hole and then covered by plastic film (Figure 2). After the po- tential for frost days has passed, farmers can break the plastic film and let tobacco seedlings come out. This technology was proposed by the Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sci- ence (YATAS), which is an important partner of the Yunnan Tobacco Company and an important leading tobacco research center for Southern China as well. After successfully addressing climate limitations, since 2008 Yunnan Tobacco has started to promote tobacco cultivation in Dehong County. At first, the Achang were reluctant to plant tobacco. But, after receiving high cash rewards from growing tobacco, almost 80% of families in Husa Township have now started growing tobacco. In 2016, the area under cultivation reached an unprecedented 20,000 mu. Because of their relative inexperience in growing tobacco, local farmers have yet to fully master the planting and curing technologies, tobacco experts from YATAS frequently provide training for tobacco growers at critical points like transplanting, harvesting, and curing, which helps to ensure the success of tobacco growth and the improve- ment of income for the Achang in this area (Figure 3). The blueprint of the "Happy Achang" program promoted by Yunnan Tobacco integrates four major subprograms: the Tobacco Program, the Non-Tobacco Program, the Housing Program, and the Comprehensive Program, to ensure the im- provement and self-development of the Achang people. The total investment for this program is around US$160 million for 30,000 people in Husa Township and will last three years from 2015 to 2017. Through the Tobacco Program, Yunnan Tobacco is building the basic irrigation systems for tobacco use and country roads to transport mechanical equipment. This investment will help growing tobacco, but it will also be beneficial for other crops such as canola and rice. With its Non-Tobacco Program, Yun- nan Tobacco invited the nation's foremost agricultural experts Figure1.The traditional Achang women from Husa Township, DehongCounty.