Abstract

Among the various uses to which tobacco is put to, chewing occupies a major place and 25 per cent of the area and production of tobacco in this province is under chewing varieties. It has been recently estimated that consumption of chewing tobacco is at the maximum in the States of Cochin and Travancore and in British Malabar. Palghat is the most important centre for the assembling and wholesale distribution of chewing tobacco grown in the Coimbatore and adjacent districts. The Palghat market buys outright the produce from these districts and processes them to meet the tastes of the West Coast consumers. The following is the result of an enquiry conducted at the Palghat tobacco market with the idea of studying the systems of assemblage, curing, trade and distribution from Palghat, and the scope for improvement in the system of marketing is suggested.

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