Leaf price increased

The grower price for leaf tobacco produced during Japan’s 2019 harvest has been set at an average of ¥1,912.32 per kg for all leaf types, an increase of 1.33 percent on the 2018 price of ¥1,887.14 per kg, which was 0.51 percent up on the 2017 price of ¥1,877.57 per kg.
But the 2019 price has been set 0.40 percent lower than it was in 2015. The 2017 price was the same as that for 2016 tobacco, but the 2016 price was down by 2.2 percent on that of 2015, ¥1,920.10 per kg, which was up 0.71 percent on that of the 2014, ¥1,906.47 per kg. The 2014 price was the same as that of 2013 but up by 0.84 percent on that of 2012.
Japan Tobacco Inc. said yesterday that the Leaf Tobacco Deliberative Council (LTDC), chaired by Yoshio Kobayashi, had released its annual determinations for the domestic leaf-tobacco cultivation area and grower prices for 2019 in response to a proposal submitted by JT earlier in the day.
The Council was said to have been in general agreement with JT’s proposal, and determined that, in 2019, the domestic tobacco cultivation area should be set at 6,886 ha, a decrease of 4.8 percent compared to the contracted area of the previous year, which included inactive areas in Fukushima.
The domestic tobacco-cultivation area for 2018 was set at 7,436 ha, a decrease of 4.7 percent compared to the contracted area of the previous year.
The council went along too with JT’s price recommendation of ¥1,912.32 per kg for all leaf types.
The LTDC was described as a council that confers on important matters concerning the cultivation and purchase of domestically-grown leaf tobacco in response to inquiries by JT. It comprises no more than 11 members, appointed by JT with the approval of the Minister of Finance from among representatives of domestic leaf tobacco growers and academics.