Philip Morris USA raised the price of their Top selling Marlboro and other brands, said company representative on Monday.
The unit of Altria Group Inc is to increase the prices it charges wholesalers for Marlboro, Basic and LM cigarettes 6 cents a pack and the rest of their brands by 8 cents, Altria Representative William Phelps said.
Average price for a pack of Marlboro was $ 5.29 in the third quarter.
The new prices will take effect on Wednesday, he said.
Phelps declined to comment on the reasons for growth, but under the law passed in June that gives the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco companies, these companies will have to pay new fees to the Agency.
Altria shares rose 16 cents, or nearly 0.9 percent, to $ 18.09 in trading Monday morning.
Stocks rival Lorillard Inc fell 5.6 percent after the company posted profit that missed analysts' estimates as spending more money on promotions to increase sales of cigarettes.
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
HUNTSMAN WANTS TO PUSH cigarette tax to $ 3
Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. approved a $ 2.30 tax increase on a pack of cigarettes this morning, giving Utah the highest state cigarette tax in the country to destroy the remaining state sales tax on food.
"I think it is quite fair compromise," the governor said after a public embracing a tax hike for the first time, and how to go further than previous legislative proposals. Trust hunter would more than quadruple the current 70 cents tax on a pack of smokes.
Legislative leaders were open to the idea, and said that he would be one of the topics discussed in the upcoming legislative session.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, said he would support increasing taxes on tobacco, yet it was an equal tax cut.
"I think you can move quickly to [raise] the tax on tobacco to remove the sales tax on food," said Clark, speaking with one voice under the auspices of the discussion of legislative priorities.
Senate President Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said that the governor's proposal would need to be batted around.
"I've always been a supporter of removing the state tax on food, but as I listen to my advice, I'm not sure what they are," he said. "Most television is absolutely his campaign on promises without raising taxes. ... This is an alternative that needs to be discussed.
Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, has already created a bill that would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $ 2. Offer hunter would raise it to $ 3. A pack of cigarettes now costs between $ 3.50 and $ 5 Pack.
As in August last year in New York had the highest state cigarette tax in the country at $ 2.75, according to data collected during the campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Nevertheless, in many cities across the country to impose its own cigarette tax, which makes the package cost is much higher. The national average was $ 1.18.
Michael Siler, director of public affairs for the Utah chapter of the American Cancer Society, said he was aware at the time as the Governor in support of higher taxes on tobacco, but did not know how much it will establish a goal.
"As far as we know, this is a good thing," he said, saying that would encourage smokers to hit out of habit and can help defray the costs associated with smoking.
Supporters of cigarettes said that every 10 percent increase in the cost of a pack of cigarettes, smoking will fall to 6.5 percent among youth and 2 percent among adults.
Utah Legislature and the Governor of the reduced state sales tax on food from 4.75 percent to 2.75 percent effective in January 2007 and then to 1.75 per cent as of January 2008.
Hunter said that the $ 3 per pack tax would bring $ 120 million to $ 150 million of income, for $ 60 million of current tax generates. Hunter said he would "more than sufficient" to eliminate the sales tax on food. It will cost about $ 75 million.
"It would be more coverage that the rest of the sales tax on food, and I think it would show a strong commitment to the people of the state, if we think creatively about how to get something like this done," said Hunter.
As suggested by Christensen, that the American Cancer Society and other networks to combat smoking and public health advocates provided support, most of the money would go towards the cost of health care and smoking cessation programs.
Siler said that they will continue as the money for these purposes, but the group recognizes that in these difficult times of budget can not happen. He said that his organization will continue to do business in the legislature this year and in subsequent years, it will be a worthy goal for new revenue.
Hunter said that, under his proposal, there will be a lot of money to halt and health programs.
"I think it is quite fair compromise," the governor said after a public embracing a tax hike for the first time, and how to go further than previous legislative proposals. Trust hunter would more than quadruple the current 70 cents tax on a pack of smokes.
Legislative leaders were open to the idea, and said that he would be one of the topics discussed in the upcoming legislative session.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, said he would support increasing taxes on tobacco, yet it was an equal tax cut.
"I think you can move quickly to [raise] the tax on tobacco to remove the sales tax on food," said Clark, speaking with one voice under the auspices of the discussion of legislative priorities.
Senate President Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said that the governor's proposal would need to be batted around.
"I've always been a supporter of removing the state tax on food, but as I listen to my advice, I'm not sure what they are," he said. "Most television is absolutely his campaign on promises without raising taxes. ... This is an alternative that needs to be discussed.
Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, has already created a bill that would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $ 2. Offer hunter would raise it to $ 3. A pack of cigarettes now costs between $ 3.50 and $ 5 Pack.
As in August last year in New York had the highest state cigarette tax in the country at $ 2.75, according to data collected during the campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Nevertheless, in many cities across the country to impose its own cigarette tax, which makes the package cost is much higher. The national average was $ 1.18.
Michael Siler, director of public affairs for the Utah chapter of the American Cancer Society, said he was aware at the time as the Governor in support of higher taxes on tobacco, but did not know how much it will establish a goal.
"As far as we know, this is a good thing," he said, saying that would encourage smokers to hit out of habit and can help defray the costs associated with smoking.
Supporters of cigarettes said that every 10 percent increase in the cost of a pack of cigarettes, smoking will fall to 6.5 percent among youth and 2 percent among adults.
Utah Legislature and the Governor of the reduced state sales tax on food from 4.75 percent to 2.75 percent effective in January 2007 and then to 1.75 per cent as of January 2008.
Hunter said that the $ 3 per pack tax would bring $ 120 million to $ 150 million of income, for $ 60 million of current tax generates. Hunter said he would "more than sufficient" to eliminate the sales tax on food. It will cost about $ 75 million.
"It would be more coverage that the rest of the sales tax on food, and I think it would show a strong commitment to the people of the state, if we think creatively about how to get something like this done," said Hunter.
As suggested by Christensen, that the American Cancer Society and other networks to combat smoking and public health advocates provided support, most of the money would go towards the cost of health care and smoking cessation programs.
Siler said that they will continue as the money for these purposes, but the group recognizes that in these difficult times of budget can not happen. He said that his organization will continue to do business in the legislature this year and in subsequent years, it will be a worthy goal for new revenue.
Hunter said that, under his proposal, there will be a lot of money to halt and health programs.
Tuesday 17 March 2009
About cigar
Cigars are either made by hand, where the tobacco leaves are picked, sorted and bundled manually, before the cigar itself is formed by a skilled cigar roller, or they are machine produced.
Machine made cigars
A machine made cigar is basically a bundle of tobacco rolled into a tubular shape. The process for making this type of cigar is highly automated. The filler is made from machine chopped or shredded pieces of tobacco. In high quality cigars, these pieces are relatively uniform in size, texture and grade, while in some lower grade machine made cigars this chopped tobacco may vary in quality. Only in very low grade cigars might you find pieces of tobacco stems or stalks in the filler. The binder holds the filler together and in high quality cigars a tobacco leaf is used for this purpose. Lower quality and cheaper machine made cigars use a homogenized tobacco leaf as a binder. This leaf is usually made from tobacco scraps that are ground up, mixed with combustible agents and water, then stretched and rolled in a large sheet like paper. The wrapper is the tobacco leaf that forms the outer skin and gives the cigar its appearance. Machine made cigars are made with dry wrappers, which means that they will not develop into oily, smooth ‘grand cigars’ like some hand made cigars.
Hand made cigars
Hand-made cigars are wrapped in a single flawless tobacco leaf Making cigars by hand is a painstaking process, requiring great skill and a high degree of attention to quality control. The filler is prepared by folding each individual tobacco leaf onto itself so that it burns evenly. It is then surrounded by a coarse binder leaf which holds it together. Once the filler is properly shaped, the bunch is placed into a plastic or cedar mould, where it will remain for 30 to 45 minutes. After a close inspection of the leaf, the best part is picked and carefully cut into the optimum shape for wrapping the cigar. With the cigar wrapped, a small amount of vegetable glue (pectin) is applied, to keep the wrapper secure. Next a circle shape is cut out of the wrapper leaf to make a cap and this is applied to the head of the cigar. Finally, using a little more vegetable glue, the cigar band is added to complete the hand made cigar.
Machine made cigars
A machine made cigar is basically a bundle of tobacco rolled into a tubular shape. The process for making this type of cigar is highly automated. The filler is made from machine chopped or shredded pieces of tobacco. In high quality cigars, these pieces are relatively uniform in size, texture and grade, while in some lower grade machine made cigars this chopped tobacco may vary in quality. Only in very low grade cigars might you find pieces of tobacco stems or stalks in the filler. The binder holds the filler together and in high quality cigars a tobacco leaf is used for this purpose. Lower quality and cheaper machine made cigars use a homogenized tobacco leaf as a binder. This leaf is usually made from tobacco scraps that are ground up, mixed with combustible agents and water, then stretched and rolled in a large sheet like paper. The wrapper is the tobacco leaf that forms the outer skin and gives the cigar its appearance. Machine made cigars are made with dry wrappers, which means that they will not develop into oily, smooth ‘grand cigars’ like some hand made cigars.
Hand made cigars
Hand-made cigars are wrapped in a single flawless tobacco leaf Making cigars by hand is a painstaking process, requiring great skill and a high degree of attention to quality control. The filler is prepared by folding each individual tobacco leaf onto itself so that it burns evenly. It is then surrounded by a coarse binder leaf which holds it together. Once the filler is properly shaped, the bunch is placed into a plastic or cedar mould, where it will remain for 30 to 45 minutes. After a close inspection of the leaf, the best part is picked and carefully cut into the optimum shape for wrapping the cigar. With the cigar wrapped, a small amount of vegetable glue (pectin) is applied, to keep the wrapper secure. Next a circle shape is cut out of the wrapper leaf to make a cap and this is applied to the head of the cigar. Finally, using a little more vegetable glue, the cigar band is added to complete the hand made cigar.
Tuesday 9 December 2008
From tobacco to cigar
The first steps of tobacco becoming a cigar have been calle
d the "Magic Sixes." A tobacco fermentation practiced from General Cigar named Nunez said, "You take six weeks to germinate the seeds, six weeks to grow the plant, six weeks to harvest, six weeks to dry and cure, and six weeks to ferment for the first time. We call it the magic sixes."Cigar tobacco is grown in a lot of regions today. The most prominent ones being the Caribbean, and Central America. Outer surface of these areas, major cigar tobacco growing countries include America, Cameroon, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, and South Africa.The Caribbean countries include Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The rich, red soil of Vuelta Abajo in Cuba is acclaimed as the most excellent tobacco region in the world, and is one of Cuba's five main tobacco areas. Dominican Republic tobacco is mostly grown in the Cibao river valley, and is a major rival to Cuba's acclaim for growing the finest tobacco.In Central America, the prime tobacco growing nations are Honduras and Nicaragua, who also believe that their tobacco is as good as any produced in Cuba.America produces the finest wrapper tobacco in the world, at least outside of Cuba, which is all grown in Connecticut. Connecticut-shade wrapper tobacco is in constant demand and garner's premium prices. In the growing of wrapper tobacco, Ecuador, Indonesia, and the African nation of Cameroon, have become serious contenders in the trade.Firstly growing in importance in both growing cigar tobaccos and the making of cigars are the nations of Mexico, Indonesia, and Brazil. You will find many premium cigars today using tobacco from these nations in their fillers, binders and wrappers.Cigars commence as tiny tobacco seeds, grown in nurseries for about 45 days, then hand planted in very straight rows. Shade-tobacco has the addition of being covered like a tent by cheesecloth or mesh. It takes another 45 days, about "six weeks," for the plants to mature. Leaves are picked alone, and at different times, to ensure the best quality. A plant normally has sixteen to eighteen leaves. Leaves of the tobacco plant progress from the mildest flavor at the bottom to strongest at the top. These various leaves are classified into three groups. "Valdo," is the mild leaves from the bottom of the plant. The middle section leaves are known as "seco." While the top layered, stronger flavored leaves are known as "ligero."After picking, leaves are tied together in pairs and hung on poles, or bundled, usually according to texture and size, and placed in barns or curing sheds to be dried, where they change in color from green to a variety of shades of brown. They remain here anywhere from thee to eight weeks.After this first curing, the leaves are then again sorted and graded by size, texture, and now color. The sorted leaves are then stacked in bundles of twenty leaves, called "hands" and begin their first fermentation process. The hands are then stacked in groups three to six feet high and are ready for fermentation.During the fermentation the stacked leaves begin to increase in temperature. Moisture, sap, nicotine and ammonia are released during the process. Monitoring the temperature is an on-going process. When the temperature reaches a desired point, the hands are restacked, changing their position in the group so that all are fermented uniformly. This rebuilding of these groups can be done as many as ten times over a period of up to three months, with leaves such as maduro taking as long as six months.After this fermentation, tobacco leaves are dry and brittle. They are lightly sprayed with water and steamed. The leaves are then again graded and separated into filler, binder and wrapper leaf. Usually the leaves will go through a second and sometimes even a third fermentation process.After fermentation, tobacco is aged for up to three years, and in some cases even longer. Only then is tobacco ready to be made into cigars.
THE MAKING OF CIGARS:
A cigar has three parts: the filler, binder and wrapper.T
he filler is the heart of the cigar, its center, around which the binder and wrapper embraces. In premium cigars, only long filler tobacco is used, long-leaf tobacco that runs the entire length of the cigar. Two or three, and sometimes four different tobaccos are blended together to make the filler. It is the combination, or "recipes," of these blends with various binders and wrappers that distinguish the various brands of cigars, giving them their characteristic flavors. Short-leaf, or cut tobacco, is used primarily for machine-made cigars.The binder is what holds the filler together. The binder affects the taste, burn, and aroma of the cigar and is part of the brand's "recipe." In premium cigars, the binder is specialized leaf, while mass-market, machine-made cigars use a homogenized binder made from tobacco parts.The wrapper is the outer layer of the cigar. Not only are they judged for their looks and texture, but also for the taste added to the cigar they provide, which can account for up to 60% of the cigar's taste. The hand rolling of a cigar wrapper around the cigar requires the most skilled craftsmen of a cigar factory, called the roller, and it takes years to become a master roller.Cigars can be handmade, machine-bunched and hand rolled, or totally machine-made. Handmade cigars are just that, handmade from start to finish. Machined-bunched cigars are formed by machines, but the wrapper is applied by hand. Machine-made cigars have every stage of their structure done by a machine.Handmade cigars begin with the "buncher," who blends and forms the filler into a cylindrical shape by crimping them together like a fan, creating horizontal air spaces for a good draw, and to ensure that each puff of a cigar fuse together all the tobacco in the blend. The filler is then rolled in a binder leaf and is known as a "bunch."A Buncher takes the bunches and place them into molds, which are stacked into a bunch press, which applies enough pressure to squeeze the bunches into the shape of cigars, which takes about fourty-five minutes, during which time the individual bunches are rotated to create a good cylindrical shape.The bunches are then taken to the Roller, the most skilled craftsmen in the factory, who apply the wrapper. The Roller trims the wrapper leaf to size and encircles the cigar with its outer layer. The Roller then cuts a small piece of wrapper leaf for the cap, affixing it to the head with a sticky, tasteless dab of natural tree gum. Finished cigars are then cut to the desired length. A master roller is called a "Torcedor."Nevertheless, this "finished" cigar is not truly finished. The tobacco was first moistened for handling in their production. Now the cigars must be dried, and are done so in a temperature-contolled cedar room. This drying time is also meant to allow the various blends within the cigar to meld together. This process can take several weeks, months, or, in special instances, even years. The cigars are then graded one last time by color, banded, boxed and shipped out.
d the "Magic Sixes." A tobacco fermentation practiced from General Cigar named Nunez said, "You take six weeks to germinate the seeds, six weeks to grow the plant, six weeks to harvest, six weeks to dry and cure, and six weeks to ferment for the first time. We call it the magic sixes."Cigar tobacco is grown in a lot of regions today. The most prominent ones being the Caribbean, and Central America. Outer surface of these areas, major cigar tobacco growing countries include America, Cameroon, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Philippines, and South Africa.The Caribbean countries include Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The rich, red soil of Vuelta Abajo in Cuba is acclaimed as the most excellent tobacco region in the world, and is one of Cuba's five main tobacco areas. Dominican Republic tobacco is mostly grown in the Cibao river valley, and is a major rival to Cuba's acclaim for growing the finest tobacco.In Central America, the prime tobacco growing nations are Honduras and Nicaragua, who also believe that their tobacco is as good as any produced in Cuba.America produces the finest wrapper tobacco in the world, at least outside of Cuba, which is all grown in Connecticut. Connecticut-shade wrapper tobacco is in constant demand and garner's premium prices. In the growing of wrapper tobacco, Ecuador, Indonesia, and the African nation of Cameroon, have become serious contenders in the trade.Firstly growing in importance in both growing cigar tobaccos and the making of cigars are the nations of Mexico, Indonesia, and Brazil. You will find many premium cigars today using tobacco from these nations in their fillers, binders and wrappers.Cigars commence as tiny tobacco seeds, grown in nurseries for about 45 days, then hand planted in very straight rows. Shade-tobacco has the addition of being covered like a tent by cheesecloth or mesh. It takes another 45 days, about "six weeks," for the plants to mature. Leaves are picked alone, and at different times, to ensure the best quality. A plant normally has sixteen to eighteen leaves. Leaves of the tobacco plant progress from the mildest flavor at the bottom to strongest at the top. These various leaves are classified into three groups. "Valdo," is the mild leaves from the bottom of the plant. The middle section leaves are known as "seco." While the top layered, stronger flavored leaves are known as "ligero."After picking, leaves are tied together in pairs and hung on poles, or bundled, usually according to texture and size, and placed in barns or curing sheds to be dried, where they change in color from green to a variety of shades of brown. They remain here anywhere from thee to eight weeks.After this first curing, the leaves are then again sorted and graded by size, texture, and now color. The sorted leaves are then stacked in bundles of twenty leaves, called "hands" and begin their first fermentation process. The hands are then stacked in groups three to six feet high and are ready for fermentation.During the fermentation the stacked leaves begin to increase in temperature. Moisture, sap, nicotine and ammonia are released during the process. Monitoring the temperature is an on-going process. When the temperature reaches a desired point, the hands are restacked, changing their position in the group so that all are fermented uniformly. This rebuilding of these groups can be done as many as ten times over a period of up to three months, with leaves such as maduro taking as long as six months.After this fermentation, tobacco leaves are dry and brittle. They are lightly sprayed with water and steamed. The leaves are then again graded and separated into filler, binder and wrapper leaf. Usually the leaves will go through a second and sometimes even a third fermentation process.After fermentation, tobacco is aged for up to three years, and in some cases even longer. Only then is tobacco ready to be made into cigars.
THE MAKING OF CIGARS:
A cigar has three parts: the filler, binder and wrapper.T
he filler is the heart of the cigar, its center, around which the binder and wrapper embraces. In premium cigars, only long filler tobacco is used, long-leaf tobacco that runs the entire length of the cigar. Two or three, and sometimes four different tobaccos are blended together to make the filler. It is the combination, or "recipes," of these blends with various binders and wrappers that distinguish the various brands of cigars, giving them their characteristic flavors. Short-leaf, or cut tobacco, is used primarily for machine-made cigars.The binder is what holds the filler together. The binder affects the taste, burn, and aroma of the cigar and is part of the brand's "recipe." In premium cigars, the binder is specialized leaf, while mass-market, machine-made cigars use a homogenized binder made from tobacco parts.The wrapper is the outer layer of the cigar. Not only are they judged for their looks and texture, but also for the taste added to the cigar they provide, which can account for up to 60% of the cigar's taste. The hand rolling of a cigar wrapper around the cigar requires the most skilled craftsmen of a cigar factory, called the roller, and it takes years to become a master roller.Cigars can be handmade, machine-bunched and hand rolled, or totally machine-made. Handmade cigars are just that, handmade from start to finish. Machined-bunched cigars are formed by machines, but the wrapper is applied by hand. Machine-made cigars have every stage of their structure done by a machine.Handmade cigars begin with the "buncher," who blends and forms the filler into a cylindrical shape by crimping them together like a fan, creating horizontal air spaces for a good draw, and to ensure that each puff of a cigar fuse together all the tobacco in the blend. The filler is then rolled in a binder leaf and is known as a "bunch."A Buncher takes the bunches and place them into molds, which are stacked into a bunch press, which applies enough pressure to squeeze the bunches into the shape of cigars, which takes about fourty-five minutes, during which time the individual bunches are rotated to create a good cylindrical shape.The bunches are then taken to the Roller, the most skilled craftsmen in the factory, who apply the wrapper. The Roller trims the wrapper leaf to size and encircles the cigar with its outer layer. The Roller then cuts a small piece of wrapper leaf for the cap, affixing it to the head with a sticky, tasteless dab of natural tree gum. Finished cigars are then cut to the desired length. A master roller is called a "Torcedor."Nevertheless, this "finished" cigar is not truly finished. The tobacco was first moistened for handling in their production. Now the cigars must be dried, and are done so in a temperature-contolled cedar room. This drying time is also meant to allow the various blends within the cigar to meld together. This process can take several weeks, months, or, in special instances, even years. The cigars are then graded one last time by color, banded, boxed and shipped out.
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