Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-10-22
JAPANESE SHIFTING
TO AMERICAN LEAF
Orientals Cultivating Taste
for Choicer Types of
Tobacco Here

Washington, Oct. pa change in
consumer preference from the old
type mouthpiece to non-mouthpiece
cigarettes is causing tobacco growers
in Japan to shift from the produc-
ton of native types to flue-cured leaf,
the Bureau of Agricultural Economics
was informed today by it's office in
Shanghai.
Mouthpiece cigarettes, in which
very little if any flue-cured leaf is
used, were formerly the favorite
smoke Of the Japanese. In recent
years there has been rapid shift in
consumer demand to the monmouth
piece variety in which flue-cured leaf
constitutes about IS percent of the to-
bacco used. In addition, total ciga-
rette consumption is increasing.
The 1886 tobacco crop of Japan lex
elusive of Korea and Formosa) is es-
timated at 143,00O,OOO pounds compar-
ed with 142, 100000 pounds in 1885 and
with the 1930-34 average of 146,0OO,-
600. Native types, however, now make
up a much smaller percentage of the
total, while flue-cured types show a
corresponding increase
The flue-cured crop during 1930-34
averaged 100000 pounds annually
or 20 percent of the total while the
production of native types averaged
1l6,O00,OO0 pounds or 80 percent of the
total. This year the flue-cured crop
is estimated at 100000 pounds or
80 percent of the total while native
types declined to 88,000,OOO pounds or
only 81 percent of the total.
The Bureau estimates that total
consumption of tobacco in Japan lex
elusive of Korea and Formosa) during
III 'j-37 October 1-September 800 will
not exceed 143,O00,000 pounds or about
the same as during 1886. An in
crease is expected, however, in the
consumption of non-mouthpiece ciga-
rettes with a corresponding decrease
in the consumption of mouthpiece Gig
flue-cured is used.
Indications are that the 1867
utilization of totacco for monmouth
| piece cigarettes will amount to 65,OOO,-
| 900 pounds compared with $4,000 900
| pounds last year. Utilization in mouth
| piece cigarettes is not expected to ex-
| ceed 100000 pounds compared with
| 100000 pounds in 1885, The con-
sumption of cut tobacco mad other
products using no flue-cured leaf is
is expected to amount to 100000
pounds compared with 100000
pounds last year.
Although total carryover stocks of
flue-cured leaf held by the japanese
Tobacco Monopoly are equivalent to
form Is to 20 months supply the in
creased demand for cigarettes with
out mouhtpieces may result in larger
imports of American flue-cured leaf
during 913637 than last year. This
/ opinion is further substantiated by
expected increases in shipments of
| japanese leaf to Manchuria during
1936l37
American exports of flue-cured leaf
to Japan during the year ended June
80, 1885, amounted to 100000 pounds
compared with 100000 pounds in
1934-35 and with the annual average
! of 1928, 900 pounds for the five years
ended with 1933-34.
The shift in Japan from cigarettes
containing no flue-cured to those com
posed largely of flue-cured will un-
doubtedly continue, according to the
despatch: The resulting increased de-
tnafid for flue-cured leaf will be met
largely by increased Japanese produc
ton. Although the proportion of Am
efican flue-flured leaf used will pro-
badly decline the total valume used
is expected to remain at about the
present level