NZ tax hike lifts interest in home-grown tobacco

In the city of Tauranga, New Zealand, smokers who grow their own leaf tobacco are making money by using websites and social media pages to sell tobacco plant seeds to others looking to reduce their costs of smoking following a recent 10 percent tax hike.

According to a story by Rebecca Savory for the Bay of Plenty Times; while it is illegal in New Zealand to sell or gift home-grown tobacco plants, people can legally grow tobacco for their own use and sell and buy the seeds.

Individuals may process up to 15 kg of home-grown tobacco per adult per year for personal use. This equates to between 50 and 100 cigarettes per person per day, depending on tobacco content.

Savory reported that searches for tobacco seeds on Trade Me had recently increased by 10 percent on those of a year ago and that tobacco seeds comprised the top tobacco-related search during the past 12 months.

Commercial tobacco manufacturers are unlikely to take fright, however. Searches for tobacco seeds in New Zealand routinely increase through December and peak in the middle of January.

And interest in growing tobacco at home regularly increases with tobacco price hikes.

The main problem is that it is difficult to process a palatable tobacco product from home grown plants.

Whether or not home grown tobacco offers a health benefit or deficit is another story.