Research On The Present Situation And Countermeasures Of Xiangxi Modern Tobacco Agriculture

China is one of the major tobacco producers in the world, with tobacco farming playing a very important role in its modern day agriculture. To enhance the development of tobacco farming, it requires agriculture mechanization in tobacco production, which is an essential approach to reduce leaf tobacco costs and improve its quality. Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture(Xiang Xi in short) of Hunan Province, as an established leading flue-cured tobacco producing area, is in the face of certain obstacles in its way of tobacco mechanization. How to seize the opportunity to find new modes of development and constantly improve its level of mechanization, how to accelerate the pace of development and increase tobacco farmers’ revenues and reduce their expenses, allowing them to share the achievements in reforms, currently has become an import subject to study in developing modern tobacco farming in Xiangxi area.By ways of investigations and researches, a study of the current situation of modern tobacco farming in Xiangxi and countermeasures shows:First, Scale of planting area.Xiangxi has built a total of 13 farmers cooperatives with 4125 farmer households in attendance, accounting for 28.9% of the total tobacco farmers. Large household more than 200 households, the average farmers planting area for 1 thousand and 290 hectares.In the 12th Five-Year Plan(2011-2015) period, the cumulative planting of flue-cured tobacco in Xiangxi has reached 1.249 million mu,292,000 mu more than that of the 11th Five-Year Plan period, with an average annual increase rate of 6.1 percent; the procurement of tobacco hits 3.064 million picul, an increase of 649,000 picul, an average annual growth rate of 5.4%. Farmers incomes have surged to 3.84 billion yuan, an increase of 2.1 billion yuan with an average annual growth rate of 24.3%; tobacco taxes have reached 740 million yuan, an increase of 410 million yuan as compared the 11th Five-Year Plan period, an average annual increase rate of 24.5%; the average household income for tobacco farmers stands at 42,000 yuan,27,000 yuan more as compared with an average annual growth rate of 34.7%. Secondly, there is significant improvement in production and living facilities. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, Xiangxi has invested 2.425 billion yuan in the fundamental construction of tobacco producing, covering a total of 18,942 projects, including building 211 cultivation factories,5239 bulk curing barns and 2326 kilometers of tractor roads, providing 6557 units of supporting agriculture implements, consolidating 6.5 million mu of land. During this period, the tobacco producing bases in 15 counties within Xiangxi have been accomplished, with newly planned tobacco fields reaching a total of 650,000 mu. Thirdly, services in relation to tobacco production are becoming specialized. However, judging from the current situation, to modernize tobacco farming, there are still the following problems:the terrain is relatively complex, which hinders the practical operation of related equipment and further the development of tobacco farming; comparative advantages of tobacco growing are not obvious, which impacts the long-term development of tobacco production; the infrastructure is relatively weak, which causes the cost in allocation of resources, the cost of tobacco production displacement as well as that in stress resistance to remain comparatively high; unsound agricultural social service system slows down the progress of development in modern tobacco farming; bottlenecks in business process has affected the overall process of the modernization; the scarcity of labor and the lacking of related professional quality further hinders the tobacco production.Through the survey on the development status of tobacco growing in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province, the paper has looked into the advantages of Xiangxi modern tobacco farming as well as some existing problems, and thus puts forward the following suggestions and countermeasures:(1) based on the premise of understanding well the current situation and seizing opportunities, carry out comprehensive and rational planning about the tobacco fields to ensure smooth progress of tobacco production;(2) constantly improve infrastructures for tobacco leaf production to lay the material foundation for agricultural development; (3) pay close attention to pilot work areas, and give full play to exemplary roles;(4) continue to strengthen the scientific and technological development and innovation; (5) strengthen tobacco agricultural mechanization research, development and promotion;(6) improve the overall quality of farmers team, to build new style farmers team; (7)strengthen the supporting policy system, adhere to market-oriented operation; (8) encourage multi-channel, large-scale planting;(9) establish and perfect relevant service system; (10) make full use of information technology to strengthen management, improve the level of production management.