Nanyang city of Central China's Henan province harvested 613,000 piculs of tobacco leaves last year, or roughly 23.58 percent of Henan's total amount. The city has been selected as a quality certificated pioneer in the province.

The city accelerated the development of modern tobacco agriculture through a series of measurements such as optimizing structure, leading demonstrations and stabilizing foundation.

The city focuses on the key production processes and optimizes the production structure. The city enhanced the publication of national policies on tobacco leaf production through newspaper articles, radio news, television news, sound trucks and brochures. Nanyang also educated farmers to plant tobacco leaves according to contracts following the national policy.

Nanyang focuses on production processes such as distributing seeds, cultivating seedlings, plowing land, transplanting and supplying. The land for tobacco cultivation has shrunk from 340,000 mu (22,666) to the contracted 103,000 mu last year.

In addition, in order to optimize the species layout, Nanyang developed the brand image of tobacco leaves, optimized the nutrition level, utilized ecological cultivation methods, and improved the quality and scent.

Furthermore, the city established a demonstrative area to improve tobacco leaf quality. Nanyang established 15 demonstrative areas with a total area of 36,500 mu. It also promoted balanced fertilizing techniques and comprehensively prevented and managed damage from insects. The production standard and the tobacco quality have been greatly improved.

In addition, the city stabilized the production foundation and made efforts to develop modern tobacco agriculture. In the past four years, investment into the basic facilities of tobacco production has reached 569 million yuan ($91 million). The city has completed a total of 13,231 projects related to basic facility establishment.

The total number of national level tobacco bases has reached eight, including the three additional bases established last year. The city has two characteristic tobacco bases.

Moreover, Nanyang invested in the research and development of tobacco agriculture. The city implemented a total of 42 major research projects and industrial entertainment demonstrative projects.