Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550322
66 tobaccoasia / Issue 2, 2015 (May/June) with growing vegetables or raising pigs. Even in former revolutionary base areas, areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, remote areas, and poverty- stricken areas, farmers are much less enthusiastic about growing tobacco as a result of steady im- provement of conditions for agricultural produc- tion. Under conditions, any lack of control over both the tobacco acreage and leaf tobacco sales volume will result in a series of chain reactions. Obviously, the core of the question about the extent to which both the tobacco acreage and leaf tobacco sales volumes should be controlled lies in stability – stability of income for tobacco growers and stability of human resources for tobacco grow- ing. Some tobacco-growing regions have managed to implement innovative control measures for both the tobacco acreage and leaf tobacco sales volume, adopting the measures while taking into account the local realities, scientific planning, and adoption of rotation of tobacco with other crops in designated areas. Such measures did not only succeed in realizing an overall reduction of to- bacco acreage, but also effectively promoted the enthusiasm of tobacco growers and ensured ad- equate human resources for tobacco growing. In reality, "strict control over the scale of to- bacco production and firm observation of the red line" does not mean simple controls over scale, but will also bring many opportunities to transform and upgrade leaf tobacco production in China. Many sources within the tobacco monopoly administrations in tobacco-growing areas say that although "strict control over the scale of tobacco production and firm observation of the red line" level by level is definitely important, what will be paramount is to redefine the concept of leaf to- bacco production, realize a qualitative shift in ef- ficiency, and develop the core competitiveness of leaf tobacco. Since 2014, tobacco-growing regions in China have devoted more time and energy to improv- ing the quality of their leaf tobacco products in an effort to comprehensively improve quality and efficiency. Last year, tobacco-growing regions nation- wide made great strides in implementing the gen- eral plan by tightening control over leaf tobacco production at its source and bringing the whole process of tobacco production under effective control. They attach great importance to assessing their own performance, which results in sustained, steady, and healthy development of leaf tobacco production in China. As the year 2015 is the second year of imple- menting the general plan for reduced production and supply of leaf tobacco in the planned three- year period, STMA has proposed that top priority be given to continued strict control over acreage and sales volumes while developing tobacco pro- duction and marketing. Under the leadership of STMA, the tobacco-growing regions across China are redoubling their efforts to improve quality and efficiency in leaf tobacco production, and keep consolidating their base to guarantee supply of leaf tobacco for various cigarette brands and income increase for tobacco growers. Tobacco farming of Hunan Province