Australian Cigar Production

[ARRV]

I have read that cigar production in Australia ceased in 1986 and the only tobacco grown nowadays is for filler in cigarettes.

Anyone know why?

Was it the quality of leaf - or improper growing conditions? Too labour intensive and thus expensive in the first world? Or simply no market? Or are government controls on the production of tobacco too strict in Australia and thus uneconomical to produce.

I assume it's probably a combination of the above but am interested if there is a major reason.

Surely in FNQ there would be comparable growing conditions to the other production areas in the world.

Anyway just interested

[Cam]

because its crap.. being aussie and all..

[zuma]

» because its crap.. being aussie and all..

No need to get emotional...

[El Presidente]

» I have read that cigar production in Australia ceased in 1986 and the only

» tobacco grown nowadays is for filler in cigarettes.

»

» Anyone know why?

»

» Was it the quality of leaf - or improper growing conditions? Too labour

» intensive and thus expensive in the first world? Or simply no market? Or

» are government controls on the production of tobacco too strict in

» Australia and thus uneconomical to produce.

»

» I assume it's probably a combination of the above but am interested if

» there is a major reason.

»

» Surely in FNQ there would be comparable growing conditions to the other

» production areas in the world.

»

» Anyway just interested

All Tobacco grown in Oz was for the Cigarette market. You can imagine how the cigars tasted. I can't remember the actual brands of cigars made but there weren't many from memory. They were not wet cigars but dry cigars.

Cigar production stopped due to cheap imports. Can't compete with Phillipines and Indonesia.

No real market here although very popular amongst Kiwi's ;-)

[habanablue]

further to what El Prez says, I recall that Australia currently does not produce any tobacco whatsoever....something relating to the corruption that existed in tobacco markets (something called chop chop...black market stuff)

and a new law that now allows tobacco (read cigarettes) sold in Australia not requiring any Aussie tobacco content. ie cheaper imports from overseas etc.

Closest thing to Aussie nicotine is called the 'Pituri' plant that the Aborigines knew about long before tobacco plants landed here.

[Ken Gargett]

» because its crap.. being aussie and all..

yes, they just couldn't compete with the stunners being made across the ditch in the land of the long slow whinge.