Chapter 379 Golden Leaf
February 3, 1872.
Harare, Zimbabwe.
Ernst led the command personnel to the front line. When passing through Harare, the former capital of Zimbabwe, he happened to see the tobacco planted in the fields, which were lush and green and showed vitality.
Ernst has been on the road these days, so he plans to rest here and inspect the construction work in Zimbabwe.
Harare Mayor Leaka introduced respectfully: "Your Highness, this is the tobacco planting area planned by the Black Xingen Tobacco Company in Zimbabwe this year. We have expanded the planting scale in various regions of Zimbabwe this year. By then, the Black Xingen tobacco production base will be moved from northern East Africa to Zambia and Zimbabwe, especially Zimbabwe, specifically for the production of high-end tobacco."
Ernst is pleased to see that his policies have been well implemented. As for Zimbabwe's most famous crops, tobacco must be on the list.
In the past, Zimbabwe was a major tobacco exporter in the world. Zimbabweans once said: "Tobacco means to Zimbabwe what gold means to South Africa - if Johannesburg is a capital built on gold mines, then Harare is definitely built on tobacco."
Ernst knew that Zimbabwean tobacco leaves were not rare because in his previous life he met a friend from the Far East Tobacco Company when he was on a business trip to Zimbabwe.
Ernst himself said that it was difficult to understand Far East Tobacco Company's bidding for tobacco in Zimbabwe, because he always believed that the Far East was a major tobacco producer. Why did it need to import such stuff?
The most outrageous thing is not the import, but the fact that Zimbabwe's tobacco needs to be auctioned. At the Harare tobacco auction, countries bid against each other, and the highest bidder wins.
Later, with the introduction of the Far East Tobacco Company employees, Ernst learned why Zimbabwean tobacco leaves were so popular that they even had to be auctioned.
First of all, it is of high quality. Zimbabwean tobacco leaves have rich aroma and high maturity. They are one of the typical representatives of high-quality tobacco leaves in the world. They have the characteristics of mellow aroma, unique burnt sweetness, moderate strength and light irritation. In addition to their good taste, Zimbabwean flue-cured tobacco leaves are also famous for their low chemical residues and relative health.
High quality but low yield is not enough. Zimbabwe is located between 15 degrees 33 minutes and 22 degrees 24 minutes south latitude, with an annual precipitation of between 600 and 800 mm, and nearly 60% of the precipitation is concentrated in the tobacco growing season. It is the most suitable weather for the growth of high-quality tobacco leaves, and has the unique sunshine, rain and climate that are most suitable for the growth of flue-cured tobacco.
At the same time, Zimbabwe has unique granite sandy loam tobacco fields at the same latitude in the world, which are particularly suitable for the cultivation of tobacco crops, making Zimbabwe known as the world's "golden tobacco fields". The tobacco leaves grown here are soft and golden in color, and are also known as "golden tobacco leaves". They are the main raw material widely used in high-end cigarettes.
If Zimbabwean tobacco is so good, why don’t many people know about it? When it comes to cigars, everyone knows Cuba, but in the flue-cured tobacco field, Zimbabwean Golden Leaf has the same status as Cuban cigars, especially in the world’s largest flue-cured tobacco consumer country, most smokers probably haven’t heard of it.
In fact, in the past, the Far East was the largest importer of Zimbabwean tobacco leaves. Except for tobacco from Yunnan, all high-quality cigarettes sold in Far Eastern countries only use high-quality tobacco leaves from Zimbabwe as the raw material matrix. In other words, the cigarette in your hand now is very likely to be mixed with Zimbabwean tobacco.
In the past, Zimbabwean tobacco was imported from the United States. Even during the worst period of relations between the two countries, almost all high-end American brands of cigarettes were mixed with a certain proportion of Zimbabwean tobacco, because this high-end tobacco with a unique sweet and burnt aroma was a guarantee of quality and taste.
Zimbabwean tobacco leaves are of excellent quality and high price. Even the three high-end cigarette consumer markets of Europe, the United States and China can only mix Zimbabwean tobacco in proportion and are reluctant to use it 100%. This shows the status of Zimbabwean tobacco leaves in the world.
However, these advantages are not the reasons why the Hexingen Tobacco Company chose to grow tobacco on a large scale in Zimbabwe. The tobacco growing areas in the north of East Africa are already sufficient to ensure the supply of tobacco.
However, under the influence of East African immigration policies, Ernst intended to accelerate this process, thus facilitating the migration of part of the agricultural population to the inland, and tobacco growers were the first group.
Ernst certainly knows the benefits of tobacco production in Zimbabwe, but no matter how much he boasted before, there is nothing he can do about it. This is the first time Zimbabwe has planted tobacco, and no one knows what the finished product will be like. However, the result will not be too different. After the technical staff of Hexingen Tobacco Company conducted a survey, they also agreed that Zimbabwe is more suitable for tobacco planting than other regions in East Africa. The worst quality of tobacco harvested here is higher than the world average. After a few more years of breeding and cultivation, it can reach the best grade of tobacco in the world.
Thinking of this, Ernst suddenly had an idea. He said to Harare Mayor Leaka: "This year, you tobacco farmers here should work harder. If you have any difficulties, tell the government. If there is a shortage of labor, apply for more slaves. Harare is the present and future tobacco planting base of the East African Kingdom. I plan to set up a tobacco factory in Harare in the future to create the Harare tobacco brand, so you must ensure that tobacco planting is given priority."
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's arrangement, Leaka hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I will ensure that tobacco cultivation in the Harare area is the top priority for all residents of Harare town."
Very good, the establishment of a tobacco company in East Africa was entirely out of Ernst's bad taste. Mainly in terms of the name, Ernst intended to borrow the "Golden Leaf", a local cigarette brand in Henan in his previous life, as the trademark for the new product.
Zimbabwe tobacco is called "golden tobacco", which can also be translated into Zimbabwe "golden leaf". Isn't this a coincidence! Moreover, the golden leaf does not have the meaning of a place name, which directly indicates the quality of Zimbabwe tobacco.
If it is equipped with a gold trademark, it will definitely be eye-catching when it is launched on the market. Ernst plans to directly launch the "Golden Leaf" produced in Zimbabwe as a mid-to-high-end product in East Africa and Europe.
This can also separate it from the current low-end cigarette market of Heixingen Tobacco Company. Since the supply of Heixingen Tobacco Company in the past few years came from the Netherlands and other countries, the overall quality and taste of cigarettes are not very high. To make mid-to-high-end products, you have to pay more costs and use a higher price to buy tobacco leaves of slightly better quality.
This situation was greatly improved when the tobacco fields in East Africa were gradually developed and the harvest was good, but the previous reputation could no longer be restored. It was only by relying on the convenience of industrial production and lowering the price of cigarettes that a large market was snatched from traditional tobacco merchants, mainly low-income consumer groups such as the military, workers, and farmers.
The tobacco production in East Africa is now sufficient, so it is no problem to maintain the price advantage of the low-cost cigarette brands under the Black Xingen Tobacco Company. Zimbabwean tobacco leaves can also be added for flavoring to improve the taste. After the "Golden Leaf" in East Africa goes into production, the Black Xingen Tobacco Company will also have a place in the mid-to-high-end market.
(End of this chapter)
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