Leaf grading
This grading is important because leaves from many different sources may be blended to create a particular tobacco brand. As with grapes used in wine making, while the quality and characteristics can vary with each harvest, consumers demand consistency of taste, colour and bouquet.
In fact, it can be argued that the tobacco producer’s role can be even more challenging as, unlike wine, consumers do not expect or want any variance from year to year.
Blending
The cured leaves are aged before going into the manufacturing stage. Here the tobacco is cut, conditioned and blended.
Trading
Tobacco leaves are traded as a commodity around the world. Increasingly, countries are moving from traditional trading floors, where the price is decided by auction, to contract-based systems, where buyers establish contracts with individual farmers to purchase their leaf. One thing that remains constant is the level of expertise required in buying the right amount of tobacco of the right quality to satisfy consumer demand.
Leaf-buying companies are the link between growers and tobacco product manufacturers such as JTI. However, for part of its requirements JTI also acts as a leaf-buyer. This means that as well as purchasing directly on the auction floor, we are also establishing farmer contracts in a number of countries, including Brazil, Malawi, Zambia and the United States.
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