Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1483036
60 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2022 November / December By TobaccoChina Online Tobacco leaf is the foundation of the tobacco industry, the stability of which is inseparable from that of tobacco farmers. In recent years, the Chinese tobacco industry actively developed the advantages of the system and resources to promote the integration of tobacco leaf industry and other multiple ones, and to implement in high criteria the construction of the tobacco industry complex, aiming to expand the space for tobacco farmers to increase income. The history of the tobacco complex The Chinese tobacco industry doubled efforts to promote the sustainable income of tobacco farmers. For this, the industry held on-site conferences for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019. The on-site conference held in Wannan tobacco-growing region (in the south of Anhui province) in June 2018 to increase income of tobacco farmers highlighted the characterized industry model of "tobacco leaf+N". The so-called "tobacco leaf+N" takes tobacco leaf as the main business of tobacco farmers, N being diversified supporting industries to help tobacco farmers increase income. At the on-site conference held in 2019, the tobacco-growing region in Yunnan province took the development of the whole industry chain to a new level, summarizing the three major elements of "in- dependent branding, common channel building, and industry integration", and outlining a more detailed framework for the development of the tobacco industry complex. In 2020, the industry piloted the construction of the tobacco industry complex in 51 tobacco-grow- ing regions of 39 cities in 14 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) like Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, etc. to explore the new paths and new models for transformation and upgrading of tobacco leaves, the stability of the core tobacco-growing regions, and sustainable income growth for tobacco farmers. In 2021, based off the first batch of 51 pilots, the number of pilots went up to 67 and at the same time improved the number and quality of complex construction, continuing to play a demonstrat- ing role of the complex. According to statistics, the current 118 tobacco complex cover an area of 309,000 mu (1 mu =666.67 sq.km.) the total output value of tobacco and other industry reaching RMB2.823 billion, and employ more than 10,000 farmers, stabilizing the tobacco-growing regions, strengthening the industry, and promoting income. New Complex Model for Higher Farmer Income The co-existence of tobacco leaf and other industries has taken root in China's vast countryside.