TOBACCO GROWING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 11

TOBACCO GROWING

Long-range Plan Under Consideration By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, September 14. The statement that the formulation of a long-range plan for the tobaccogrowing industry in New Zealand was now in hand was made this morning by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan). A sub-committee of the Tobacco Board was set up to undertake this work recently, said the Minister, and its report would be considered at the next meeting of the board. At a previous meeting of the board it had been decided to recommend to the Government that a minimum price be fixed for all leaf purchased by manufacturers during the season ending March 31, 1937. The Government had informed the board- in reply that it considered any scheme of minimum price fixation of leaf should be regarded as only a part of a plan for the development of the industry, and had requested the board to submit a complete longrange plan to the Government for consideration. - X, ' The Minister said that in regard to the question of the applicability of a levy of id. per pound to leaf exported from New Zealand.- the board decided that although the levy was still payable in respect of all leaf, whether for local manufacture or for export, further consideration would be given to the question when the account sales for leaf exported this season came to hand. With respect to the question of the Government continuing the present guarantee on the export of leaf so as to cover leaf exported during the 103637 season, the board had resolved that every effort should be made to maintain the continuity of supplies to the London market for the purpose of developing the export trade in leaf.