Tobacco Asia

Volume 18, Number 2

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54 tobaccoasia TOBACCO LEAF 烟叶新闻 Green Leaf Threshing Innovation As markets demand tobacco of ever-increasing quality, this trend leads to much more profes- sional approaches to tobacco processing across the industry and a growing number of producers use equipment to detect non-tobacco related materials (NTRM) at the earliest possible stage of the production process. Responding to existing demand, Hauni developed an integrated solution, which provides optimum preparation of tobacco for further processing. Apart from NTRM detection, it also includes logistics components, such as conveyors and conditioning cylinders. A good showcase for Hauni components integration is their setup for Oriental tobacco processing that comprises a number of BWE belt conveyors at the "in feed", the SRE-S vibrating conveyor channel to sift out any impurities, the TBM conditioning cylinder and an AEROSORT system. "This configuration not only significantly reduces degradation of the tobacco by handling it more gently, but also ensures a substantially lower number of pads and a stable outlet moisture content of the tobacco," explains Uwe Zessin, head of sorting technology at Hauni. "This is critical for the storage and further processing of the tobacco and is a significant challenge, especially for air-dried Oriental tobacco due to the high level of variation in the inlet moisture." when the plant is more mature. However, if used for producing biofuels, the plants are cut when they have grown to a height of approximately 50 centimeters. The plants are sown closely together and various mowings are made throughout the cycle, making it possible to obtain up to 160 tons of biomass per hectare that will be taken to the processing factory to produce more bioethanol. Furthermore, when the tobacco is integrated into a biorefinery, it is possible to extract by-products like proteins which make up 30% of the dry weight of the plant and are nutritionally more complete and have a greater protein efficiency rate than those from cow's milk or soya, and solasenol which is used to produce vitamins E and K, and xanthophylls, an additive in chicken feed. As the findings in this study were done in fieldwork, the next step is to conduct high-density cultivation tests to see if the results obtained in the fieldwork are confirmed. BELGIUM/ZIMBABWE Belgium Top Buyer of Zimbabwean Leaf Belgium has surpassed China as the top buyer of Zimbabwean tobacco, according to 2014 statistics provided by Zimbabwe's Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB). As of April 17, Belgium bought 3.4 million kilograms at the average price of USD 2.67 per kg, bringing the total value to US$9.1 billion. Last year Belgium was the third biggest buyer of Zimbabwean leaf, after China and the United Arab Emirates. This year the UAE remains the second largest buyer, followed by South Africa in third place and China in fourth. Last year China, who had been the single largest buyer of Zimbabwe's tobacco for more than five years, bought 60.3 m.kg, valued at US$475.6 million. Tobacco leaf is a main export commodity for Zimbabwe along with gold and platinum. The country expects to sell at least 180 m.kg this year. Major markets for Zimbabwean leaf include Belgium, UAE, South Africa, China, Hong Kong and Sudan. HONG KONG/MALAWI/TURKEY Star Tobacco Appoints New General Manager Bernard Ngwira has been appointed as general manager-Malawi for Star Tobacco International, responsible for all aspects of establishing Star Tobacco's operations in Malawi direct sourcing and processing Malawi Burley and FCV. He will also drive the expansion of African tobacco sourcing operations in all leaf-growing regions of Africa. Ngwira has over 26 years' experience and has served in various senior roles at Limbe Leaf (Universal) and Kanengo Tobacco Processors (Premium Tama). He holds a diploma in agriculture from the University of Malawi and an MBA from Exploits University Malawi. Ngwira will be based at the company's Star Malawi offices in Lilongwe, Malawi and report to the vice president-African Region. Star Tobacco's New Master Blender Rifat Kokturk has been appointed Star Tobacco's Tobacco leaf blending manager, also serving as the company's master blender reporting to the c.e.o. In this role he will be working closely with Star Tobacco's clients in the area of developing new blends as well as optimizing existing blends from a cost to quality perspective. Kokturk has over 36 years of tobacco experience, having served in a variety of roles at Turkish State Tobacco Monopoly – TEKEL. He holds an engineering degree from Manisa Celal Bayar University and a degree in Tobacco Expertise from the University of Istanbul. He has also undergone several orientation programs in the US on American blends including flavor and sauce optimization. A Turkish national, Kokturk will be based in Izmir, Turkey and will operate from Star Tobacco's Istanbul offices. Hauni has developed a process solution which provides optimum preparation of tobacco for further processing and can be successfully integrated into the area of green leaf threshing. Bioethanol from Genetically-Modified Tobacco Agrobiotechnology researchers believe that genetically-modified tobacco plants can be a source suitable for producing bioethanol, thus becoming an alternative to traditional tobacco growing, which is in decline both in the US and in Europe. The researchers grew tobacco plants of the Virginia Gold and Havana cultivars which had been genetically-modified to increase their production of starch and sugars, which contribute to increased ethanol production. Traditionally, tobacco plants are allowed to grow so that the leaves get bigger as the nicotine is synthesized

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