Brasília - Brazil is the world's biggest tobacco exporter and the world's second largest producer, 850 thousand tons, with revenues of US$ 1.5 billion per year. It is only surpassed by China, which produces 2 million tons. India in third place with a production of 700 thousand tons, was the only one of the big producers to sign the UN Tobacco Control Framework Convention, which establishes rigid rules against tobacco use.
In the view of the president of the Brazilian Association of Tobacco Planters (Afubra), Hainsi Gralow, the Framework Convention should only be ratified after the creation of an alternative activity that provides planters the same earnings.
"We might experiment various other crops indicated by the government, but for this to work out we need a trial period of [at least] ten years to see whether these crops really substitute tobacco," Gralow affirmed. He said that if Brazil signs the agreement right now, it will be ratifying the agreement together with countries that are completely dependent and that don't produce tobacco.
According to the Afubra, a hectare of planted tobacco yields between US$ 2.9 thousand (R$ 8 thousand) and US$ 3.6 thousand (R$ 10 thousand). The same area planted in beans yields US$ 473 (R$ 1,300). For corn, US$ 437 (R$ 1,300). Data from the Association show that the sector does around US$ 1.5 billion in business annually in Brazil and sustains the livelihood of over 200 thousand farmers in Southern Brazil and over 30 thousand in the Northeast. Ninety percent of production is concentrated in the South, where around two million hectares are used to plant tobacco.
"Besides this, we have a highly promising international tobacco market. Around 80% of the tobacco produced in Brazil is exported, so we don't need to take hasty decisions," he remarks.
Hansi affirms that he is aware that tobacco use causes health problems, but he cautions about the social problem that will result from the end of tobacco planting. "The tobacco planter doesn't plant tobacco because he likes tobacco, he does it because that's his way to survive."
Agência Brasil
Reporter: Irene Lôbo
Translator: David Silberstein
11/30/2004
