EXPORT TRADE IN TOBACCO

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 10

EXPORT TRADE IN TOBACCO

Potential Importance

LEAF ACCEPTABLE IN BRITAIN

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Christchurch, August 19.

The potential importance of New Zealand’s export trade in tobacco was emphasised by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, when commenting on the progress being made by the industry generally in an interview to-day. The Government is assisting in the development of the export side and, as the Minister pointed out, is now giving a guaranteed advance against shipments.

The Dlinister said that, recognising the possibilities of the growing of tobacco in New Zealand as a means of providing additional employment for numbers of men and women, and as a means of increasing the national income, the Government had, from the time of its coining into office, taken active steps to encourage and develop the industry. These steps bad been taken not only in the production of leaf for manufacture in New Zealand, but also for the production of leaf for export. “It is the opinion of the Government that we should be able to grow in New Zealand a much larger proportion of our requirements of leaf than we have done in the past, and, furthermore, that an ever-increasing proportion of our requirements of manufactured tobacco and cigarettes should be manufactured in this country. The efforts of the Government concerning the tobacco industry will continue to be directed to this end as they have been in the past. “On the export side, Empire leaf has been becoming more and more popular in the United Kingdom for a number of years, specially for the manufacture of cigarettes. With Government assistance in the way of a guaranteed, advance against the leaf, a shipment of New Zealand leaf has been made in each of the last few seasons and the result of these shipments has shown that our leaf is definitely acceptable to United Kingdom manufacturers.

“Provided our leaf can be produced at a satisfactory price and provided continuous attention is given to maintenance and improvement of the quality of our leaf, there is no reason why we should not develop a really worthwhile export trade in tobacco leaf with the United Kingdom.’’