For
Immediate Release
Contact:
Rusty Cheuvront (502) 564-2611 or John-Mark Hack (502) 564-4627
Digital
photo available at: www.state.ky.us/agencies/gov/sept12_1.htm
Frankfort, KY (Sept. 12, 2000)- - Governor Paul Patton extended a warm Kentucky welcome today to a group of tobacco inspectors visiting from China. The group of plant pathologists and plant inspectors are on a tour of U.S. tobacco facilities to determine how to best facilitate the increased export of American tobacco to the world's largest cigarette market. With over 300 million smokers, China represents a ray of hope for Kentucky tobacco farmers facing quota reductions and increased international competition. In the past, the Chinese government has restricted the import of American burley tobacco because of fears of the spread of blue mold, an air-borne fungus which can spread rapidly through a tobacco field and destroy an entire crop.
Governor
Patton was joined by State Senators Joey Pendleton and Walter Blevins, both from
districts heavily dependent on tobacco with producers looking for new markets.
Also present for the meeting was Dr. Rodney Cassada from Somerset, recently
named to the Governor's Tobacco Marketing and Export Advisory Council. Senator
Pendleton was recently named as the non-voting Chair of the Governor's new
Council, a group of tobacco industry and farm representatives formed to
determine the best ways of improving the marketing and export of Kentucky
burley. Senators Pendleton and Blevins and Dr. Cassada said they came to today's
meeting to find out all they can about opportunities for their tobacco farmers
in China.
"We're
hopeful that this group of inspectors will discover what we already know, that
Kentucky burley is the best anywhere," Governor Patton said. "The
inspectors expressed that they were encouraged with what they have seen during
their tour, and we look forward to developing a long-standing relationship with
China. We have what they want in our burley, and I'm committed to doing all I
can to find new markets for our tobacco, and we'll continue to work toward that
end," Governor Patton stated following the meeting.
The
group of inspectors included Shi Zongwei, Wu Pinshan, Wu Huachang, and Huang Guo
Ming, who gladly accepted Kentucky colonels from Senators Pendleton and Blevins.
The group was accompanied by Danny McKinney, CEO of the Burley Growers Tobacco
Cooperative; Tommy Bunn, Executive Vice President of the Leaf Tobacco Exporters
Association; Mingwu Cui of FW Rickard Seed Company in Winchester, Scott
Althauser of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative; and Drs. Gary Palmer and
Bill Nesmith of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.
Governor
Patton stated: "It's going to take us a while to get where we need to be in
exporting our burley to China, but we're going to do all we can to speed the
process along as much as possible."
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