Agriculture: Only a few dozen tobacco farmers left in Germany

2023-09-25 06:55:28

Agriculture Only a few dozen tobacco farmers left in Germany

The number of tobacco growers in Germany has continued to decline. photo

© Sebastian Willnow/dpa

The number of tobacco farmers in Germany was once in four figures. But it’s not just the lower consumption of cigarettes that has caused cultivation to shrink.

In There are fewer and fewer tobacco growers in Germany. There are currently around 60 companies growing tobacco, ten years ago there were almost twice as many, said the managing director of the Federal Association of German Tobacco Growers, Folke Rega. “It’s a hard core that has remained.”

Last year around 3,700 tonnes were harvested on 1,600 hectares. He was not yet able to make a forecast for this year’s harvest, which runs until the beginning of October. So far it looks like good quality with good yields.

The number of tobacco farmers in Germany was once in the four digits, but has shrunk over the years due to the lower consumption of cigarettes and other products. The last big break was the withdrawal of EU subsidies in 2010, after which many farmers gave up. Since then, according to Rega, tobacco has mainly been grown for water pipes in Germany. A quantity limit introduced in Germany in 2022 has led to more German tobacco entering the world market. Companies are currently struggling with rising costs for energy and personnel. According to association estimates, the industry generates a turnover of around 22 million euros.

dpa