Author: Staff Writer

The Association of Restaurant Owners in Lebanon has threatened to hold a sit-in protest tomorrow to pressure the government to relax the smoking ban in enclosed public places, according to a Daily Star story relayed by the TMA.

The ban, which includes coffee shops, restaurants and bars, took effect on September 3.

Toni al-Rami, secretary-general of the association, said restaurant revenues had declined by up to 80 per cent following the imposition of the ban.

The association is urging the government to amend the ban to allow smoking in pubs and nargileh cafes.

A review of the 2012 TFWA (Tax Free World Association) World Exhibition is being made available during the first half of November at tfwa.com.

The exhibition was held atCannes,France, on October 21-26.

The review, which includes videos and photographs, looks at the exhibition and conference, and at the event’s sporting, cultural and social events.

Cigarette companies in Malaysia are being asked to help former tobacco growers in the state of Kelantan repair their homes and provide a clean supply of water, according to a Malaysian National News Agency story.

Before they were forced to stop growing tobacco because their leaf could not compete with that produced in neighbouring countries, the farmers in Kelantan were the biggest tobacco growers in the country.

But since then, their earnings from newly introduced crops, including sweet potato, maize and kenaf, have not been able to match those they used to get from growing tobacco.

Deputy Finance Minister, Datuk Dr. Awang Adek Hussin, said the tobacco farmers’ contribution from planting tobacco for decades should not be forgotten by cigarette companies.

“Until now, these companies have made millions in profit yearly and they should come and help them [the former tobacco growers],” he said after the handing over of one house-repair program for the poor.

Philip Morris (Malaysia) Sdn Berhad and Yayasan SalamMalaysiaare said already to have allocated more than RM160,000 for the program, involving 21 houses and a mosque.

Leaf tobacco production in China’s Yunnan Province is expected this year to reach 1.1205 million tons, an increase of 92,100 tons on last year’s figure, according to a Tobacco China Online story.

By October 20, 1.08705 million tons of tobacco had been purchased and 33,650 tons of air-cured and sun-cured were still to be purchased.

Tobacco growers in the province had earned a total of Yuan24.88 billion from leaf tobacco sales, Yuan6.13 billion more than they earned last year.

And the province had paid a total of Yuan5.47 billion in leaf tobacco taxes, an increase of Yuan1.35 billion on what it paid last year.

The proportion of medium- and high-grade leaf within the tobacco purchased was 94.81 per cent, while the proportion of high-grade leaf reached 66.39 per cent.

Chinese electronic cigarette company, Innokin Technologies, has relocated its headquarters and production facility from HengChangRong Industrial Park in Shenzhen to XinXianTian Industrial Park, also in Shenzhe, according to a PR Newswire story relayed by the TMA.

Innokin’s founder and CEO, James Lee, said the investment in the new, larger facility reflected the company’s growing production needs.

The move will allow the company to consolidate its engineering, design, marketing and sales operations under one roof.

Manju Pillai, director (auctions) at the Tobacco Board of India, has said that Karnataka’s flue-cured production during the 2012-13 season is expected to be about 100 million kg, down from 127 million kg during 2011-12 because of erratic rainfall, according to a story in the Hindu relayed by the TMA.

At the same time, the average price of flue-cured has risen from Rs104 per kg last season to Rs120.60 per kg this season, and Pillai believes that prices could go higher due to strong demand for Indian leaf in the face of a supply shortage in the global market.

Meanwhile, G. Kamalavardhana Rao, chairman of the Board, said on November 2 that electronic auctions had been introduced at three auction platforms in Karnataka’sMysoredistrict.

Rao said e-auctions would ensure transparency and guarantee fair prices for growers.

Malawi’s Tobacco Control Commission (TCC) has expressed optimism that the forthcoming tobacco growing season will see production increased and foreign exchange earnings boosted, according to a story by Kingsley Jassi for the Daily Times.

The TCC expects the country’s growers to produce about 184 million kg of tobacco next year, an amount that is said will be in line with demand.

Last season,Malawiproduced only 79 million kg, earning the country US$177 million.

TCC CEO, Bruce Munthali, said in an interview in Salima on Sunday that both production and market prospects for tobacco were looking positive for the country.

He said the contribution of tobacco to the country’s economic recovery efforts hinged on regulated production, improved quality, compliance issues and better unit prices; while in the long term, value addition and balanced diversification of tobacco varieties would be critical.

However, some growers in Salima sought assurance from the TCC on prices, given the expected increase in production and the switch to contract marketing where, so far, no prices have been agreed.

Munthali told the growers that the TCC was still discussing the details of the contract system with buyers.

“We had a meeting last week and we will continue to meet but the good thing is that even if the volumes increase, they will not surpass the demand as it used to be,” said Munthali.

Eighty per cent of this year’s sales are expected to be made through contracts and some observers believe that the government, under pressure from buyers, is moving too fast in phasing out auctions.

The US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) is due to hold a webinar on the warnings it has issued for violations of regulations governing the sales, distribution, marketing and advertising of tobacco products on the Internet.

The webinar, which as been scheduled to start at 14.00 hours Eastern Time on November 7, will provide an overview of the warning letters the CTP has issued and some of the most common violations that have been identified to date in respect of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control.

More information on how to participate in the webinar is at: http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/ResourcesforYou/BreakTheChain/ucm220111.htm?source=govdelivery.

Previous compliance webinars can be viewed at: http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/ResourcesforYou/ucm288657.htm?source=govdelivery.

Tobacco growers in Lebanon are complaining that prices are not keeping abreast of increasing production costs, according to a Beirut Daily Star story.

The Lebanese Tobacco Board has started receiving 2012 tobacco in 14 southLebanoncenters in Nabatieh, Marjayoun,Tyreand Bint Jbeil.

Prices have ranged from L£8,000 per kg for low-quality, to L£13,000 for medium-quality and to L£15,000 for high-quality leaf.

The head of the tobacco farmers’ association said in a statement that prices paid by the board had remained unchanged since last year.

“The prices did not increase from last year, despite the high quality of this year’s produce … and soaring production costs,” said Hussein Fakih.

Fakih renewed farmers’ demands for entitling them for National Social Security Fund enrolment and compensation for losses during the 2006 conflict betweenLebanonandIsrael.