“Alliance One Tobacco” provided additional means for tobacco manufacturers

International company, “Alliance One Tobacco” announced that it had provided additional means for tobacco manufacturers in Serbia, which would be paid during agreed tobacco purchase, per one kilo and according tobacco class.

Aid for agricultural tobacco manufacturers, which are officially cooperating with “Alliance”, has been introduced in order to avoid larger losses in this year’s tobacco production, having in mind that the Ministry of agriculture has significantly reduced stimulation of the production for 2009, as it stands in the announcement.

General Manager of “Alliance One Tobacco” in Serbia, Dusan Cmiljic, stated that the company was aware that 2009 would be a difficult year for tobacco industry ever since premia were cancelled at the beginning of the year.

- It’s a fact that tobacco manufacturers could not continue with production with suddenly cancelled premia, estimated Mr. Cmiljic.

He also added that for that reason “Alliance One Tobacco” decided to give to tobacco manufacturers for this year’s production so-called “stimulation” per kilo and according tobacco class during the purchase.

- It’s very clear to us that this year the Ministry of agriculture doesn’t have sufficient means, and that it experiences difficulties not only in tobacco industry but in many other agricultural branches in Serbia, Mr. Cmiljic said, expressing his expectations that tobacco premia would be introduced again.

In the announcement stands that “Alliance One Tobacco”, one of the largest world tobacco traders, is on the Serbian market for already 5 years, with primal goal to improve production of tobacco in Serbia and to improve market’s quality.

“Alliance One Tobacco” provides to manufacturers seeding material, it buys agreed quantities for the prices named in the contracts and pays in agreed deadline. The company also has training service and offers counseling.

In November of 2008, “Alliance One Tobacco” opened a modern center for tobacco purchase in Sabac, in which it invested over one million USD.