Tobacco farmers set to lose subsidies

By Chris Bockman
In Dordogne, France

300m tonnes of tobacco is produced in Europe every year

Tens of thousands of jobs in rural parts of southern Europe are at risk as the European Commission prepares to remove subsidies paid to tobacco growers.

The subsidy cuts are expected to be announced this week as part of the Commission's efforts to phase out the industry and to help reduce smoking in Europe.

Farmers sell their tobacco for about 4.5 euros. Subsidies make up about 3 euros of that.

Without subsidies, many farmers will face an uncertain future.

"If I cant grow tobacco I will have to change jobs," said Dordogne tobacco farmer Jean-Luc Catinel.

"It is the end for small farms like mine."

Uncertainty

In Dordogne, there are tobacco farms every few kilometres. Everywhere, there are tobacco leaves hanging to dry.

The disappearance of Europe's tobacco industry will in no way resolve the issue of smoking and health Pierre Haein France Tabac

Farmers have been growing tobacco in this region since the seventeenth century.

If the European Commission pushes ahead with its reforms, tobacco farming could disappear from southern France within a decade, farmers here fear.

"I don't know what else I can do instead," said Mr Catinel.

"We are going to fight until the end to get the European Commission to change its mind."

Small scale

This is one of the busiest times of the year for Europe's tobacco growers.

Tobacco leaves having been hung up to dry are now being stripped from their stems before being taken to the local factory.

At local 'clearing houses' the tobacco is put into bundles like hay and sold to the cigarette manufacturers.

These are small scale operations.

Only 300,000 tonnes of tobacco is produced in France, Italy, Spain and Greece taken together.

Imports

This is not enough to satisfy Europe's smokers who tend to buy cigarettes made from non-European tobacco.

Farming keeps the local economy going here, and if there isn't any more tobacco, there will be no more work for us Tobacco worker

"The disappearance of Europe's tobacco industry will in no way resolve the issue of smoking and health," said Pierre Haein, director of France Tabac, which is owned by its 200 workers and is the biggest tobacco co-op in the country.

"As long as smoking is legal in Europe, it's obvious that cigarette manufacturers will get their tobacco supply from somewhere else in the world," he insisted.

Job losses

The tobacco manufacturing industry employs 400,000 people, directly or indirectly.

While the European Commission is expected to continue paying subsidies to the farmers if they stop growing tobacco, there are no guarantees for those working in related sectors.

Seasonal workers employed by tobacco farmers during the harvest season are also unlikely to be compensated.

As a consequence, a rural way of life in Europe could disappear for good, sceptics fear.

"There aren't too many solutions in our region because this isn't a region with a lot of industry," said one tobacco worker.

"Farming keeps the local economy going here, and if there isn't any more tobacco, there will be no more work for us."

That sort of reasoning may well rally the support of politicians especially in southern European countries, farmers hope.