Lack of tobacco supply imminent

Lack of tobacco supply imminent

BOJONEGORO, East Java: Tobacco seeds can not be planted in some
700 hectares of fertile lands in Sumberejo and Kanor districts
here in this planting season, as local weather agency has
predicted that rain will still pound the areas in the coming
months. The planting season will start in April this year.

"The local farmers have known that if they insists to start
planting the tobacco seeds in bad weather, the tobacco seeds will
spoil and perish," said Sugeng Pratikno, the head of a large
tobacco maker PT Gudang Garam's Bojonegoro branch.

Citing a weather forecast, the rainfalls measuring 370 to 390
millimeters per month will still pound the two districts in
April.

The degree of the rainfall is far from level required for the
planting of the tobacco seeds, namely not more than 200
millimeters per month.

He acknowledged that his company PT Gudang Garam, one of
largest cigarette producers in the country, will be short of
tobacco supply in the middle of this year, the harvest period of
the tobacco plants.

However, he said that the company was ready to seek for
alternative supply of the tobacco. -- Antara