Global tobacco consumption rises by 74mn kg

The total consumption of all tobacco products in the world has increased by 74 million kg to 480 million kg (2002) from 406 million kg (1981) in the last two decades. The consumption of cigarettes in 2002-03 the world over was 69 million kg and that of revenue-inefficient tobacco products 411 million kg, according to the Tobacco Board.

While the consumption of cigarettes has come down by 17 million kg over the last two decades, the consumption of other tobacco products has gone up by 91 million kg during the same period.

The per capita cigarette consumption in China is 1,753 fags a year, 1,662 in the US, 561 in Pakistan and just 141 fags in India. The per capita cigarette consumption in India is only 14 per cent of its tobacco production whereas it is 96 per cent in China and 84 per cent in the US.

The production estimates of various tobaccos, comprising Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV), Burley, Oriental, Dark Fired Cured, Dark Air Cured, Sun Cured and other varieties, would cumulate to 5,824 million kg in 2005 as against the last year's 5,778 million kg, and 5,597 million kg in 2003.

This year's production of FCV tobacco, considered the prince of tobacco varieties, has been estimated at 3,900 million kg (last year 3,760 million kg and 3,591 million kg in 2003).

The Burley harvest has been put at 784 million kg (876 million kg last year, 768 million kg in 2003), Oriental tobacco harvest at 380 million kg (371 million kg last year, 371 million kg in 2003), harvest of Dark Fire Cured at 55 million kg (55 million kg last year, 53 million kg in 2003), Dark Air Cured harvest at 150 million kg (156 million kg last year, 161 million kg in 2003), Sun Cured tobacco at 180 million kg (189 million kg last year, 194 million kg in 2003), and other tobacco crop varieties at 375 million kg (371 million kg last year, 387 million kg in 2003).

China continues to head tobacco harvest charts with a crop estimation of 1,812 million kg this year as against 1,700 million kg in 2004 and 1,800 million kg in 2003. The cumulative crop figures for the same years for the rest of the world were 2,060 million kg and 1,791 million kg respectively.

Brazil, the second biggest tobacco producer, is expected to produce 700 million kg this year as against 701 million kg in 2004. The third and fourth biggest tobacco producers -- India and the US -- are likely to reap 240 million kg (238 million last year) and 215 million kg (226 million kg in 2004) respectively this year.

The anti-smoking movement is strong in the US and the EU countries. But the movement seems to have yielded insignificant results in the US and no results at all in EU. The production in EU countries has been estimated at 150 million kg this year as against 2004 crop of 146 million kg, an increase of 4 million kg.