Fukushima's Leaf Tobacco Farmers Secured Contract with Japan Tobacco for 2012 Crop

494 leaf tobacco farmers in Fukushima will grow leaf tobacco this year and sell it to Japan Tobacco (JT), a monopoly in Japan (50% of shares owned by the Ministry of Finance) and the 3rd largest tobacco and cigarettes manufacturer in the world, next to British American Tobacco.

Did you know that there is no national safety standard for radioactive materials in leaf tobacco?

From KFB Fukushima Broadcasting Co. (2/5/2012):

原発事故を受け去年、葉タバコの作付けを断念した県たばこ耕作組合は、来年度に県中、県南、会津地方を中心に４９４戸の計４７４ヘクタールで栽培を再開する。

After the nuclear plant accident last year, the tobacco producers' union in Fukushima Prefecture gave up planting the tobacco. In the next growing season [2012], 494 farms in central, southern and Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture will resume planting on 474 hectares.

同組合と日本たばこ産業（ＪＴ）が４日までに２４年産の売買契約を結んだ。

The union and Japan Tobacco (JT) signed the agreement for the sale and purchase of the 2012 crop by Febuary 4.

葉タバコには国の放射性物質の規準値が適用されないため、ＪＴが暫定規準値（１キロ当たり放射性セシウム５００ベクレル、放射性ヨウ素２０００ベクレル）を設けている。

The national safety limits for radioactive materials do not apply to leaf tobacco. JT has its own provisional safety limits (500 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium, 2000 becquerels/kg of radioactive iodine).

組合によると、警戒区域と計画的避難区域の１６７戸（１３６ヘクタール）と、両区域以外で土壌の放射性物質の値から、栽培すればＪＴの規準値を超える恐れの高い一部地域の１５戸（１２ヘクタール）は引き続き作付けを見合わせる。

According to the union, 167 farmers (136 hectares) in the no-entry zone and the planned evacuation zone will continue to refrain from planting, as well as 15 farmers (12 hectares) in areas with high radioactivity in the soil which may cause the crop to exceed the JT's safety limits.

By the way, JT will start selling the cigarettes made from 2011 crop. Even though farmers in Fukushima did not grow leaf tobacco last year, farmers in other prefectures did, and the harvest was radioactive. JT doesn't care as long as it is below 500 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium. The highest was 217 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium detected from leaves harvested in Ibaraki Prefecture, according to JT's data measuring dried leaves. JT has assured customers that these leaves will be used in JT's cigarettes, because the cesium levels were within the JT's safety limit.

So, for added kick, look for JT-brand cigarettes come April. Make sure you don't exhale though, as people around you may not want to inhale what you exhale.

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#Radioactive Leaf Tobacco, 217 Bq/Kg of Radioactive Cesium

If this doesn't deter the smokers from smoking, I don't know what will.

From TBS News (9/6/2011):

　ＪＴ＝日本たばこ産業は、これから収穫を迎える「葉たばこ」について放射性物質の検査を行い、「問題ない」とする結果を公表しました。

JT (Japan Tobacco Inc.) announced the result of the survey of leaf tobacco for radioactive materials and said "there is no problem". The harvest season for leaf tobacco will start soon.

　ＪＴは、１０月から本格化する葉たばこの収穫を前に、休耕中の福島を除く茨城・栃木・千葉それに静岡の４つの県で、「黄色種」という乾燥済みの葉たばこについて放射性物質の検査を行ないました。

The harvest season for leaf tobacco will start in October in earnest. JT conducted the survey of one type of leaf tobacco, dried, in 4 prefectures (Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, and Shizuoka). Fukushima Prefecture was excluded as no leaf tobacco is grown this year.

　それによりますと、すべての検体で放射性ヨウ素は検出限界を下回りましたが、放射性セシウムが最高で１キログラムあたり２１７ベクレル検出されたということです。

According to the survey, radioactive iodine in all samples was below the detection level. However, the maximum 217 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was found.

　葉たばこには国による規制値が定められていませんが、ＪＴではこの結果について、野菜などに適応される暫定規制値の１キログラムあたり５００ベクレルを下回っているため「問題はない」と説明してます。ＪＴでは、今後ほかの種類の葉たばこについてもサンプリング検査を実施する方針です。

There is no safety limit for the leaf tobacco. However, JT explained the level of radioactive cesium as "not a problem" because it was below the provisional safety limit of 500 becquerels/kg for vegetables. JT is going to conduct a sample monitoring of other types of leaf tobacco.

According to the press release by JT, no radioactive cesium was detected in leaf tobacco grown in Shizuoka Prefecture. But of 33 samples in the other 3 prefectures, 27 samples were found with radioactive cesium from the lowest 21 to the highest 217 becquerels/kg (both in Ibaraki).

JT says it will not purchase or use leaf tobacco that exceeds the provisional safety limit for vegetables (as there is no safety limit for leaf tobacco). In other words, all leaf tobacco that's been tested is good to be purchased and made into cigarettes and sold by JT.

JT was a government corporation, and the national government still owns 50.02% of the company. In exchange for the obligation to purchase all leaf tobacco grown in Japan, it is granted the monopoly of manufacturing cigarettes in Japan. It is very active in exporting the cigarettes and is the 3rd largest cigarette company in the world after Philip Morris and British American Tobacco.

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