Souvenir Tobacco Company Limited (Sec-III)Cont...

(Source: Production Department MGM Complex)

4.5.1 Leaf Department

As clear from its name, leaf area, it involves in the process from seed sowing to harvesting, curing and purchasing of tobacco leaf. Leaf area is comprised of depots all over the tobacco-growing region of NWFP. These depots perform many function of the leaf dept. They first survey the tobacco grown in that region and assign the quality grades to each farm, which is done through checking the tobacco. When the buying season starts they will start buying the tobacco in light of survey and the company targets provided to them. They will try buying the best tobacco from each grower. The limit to be assigned to each Virginia tobacco these years is going in between 70 to 60 Rupees/kgs. He cannot assign lower or higher price then that .The grower who will bring his tobacco for sale will have to get a contract because if they do not have any contract they cannot sell it to STC.

The different tobacco purchased by the leaf area is divided into four (4) kind and more or less as many grades. These kinds are as follow.

Ø      FCV (Flue Cured Virginia) main

Ø      DAC (Dark Air Cured)

Ø      WP (White Patta)

Ø      BURLEY

 The kind of tobacco STC buys the most is the Virginia, which is used in all of the brands of Cigarettes manufactures in STC. It is graded into many categories. These grades depend on the moisture, moldiness and the amount of cure given to the tobacco. If it is too cooked or its uncooked it will be graded lower and the prime and correctly cured Virginia will be graded the highest and will fetch higher price to the tobacco grower. These steps ensure the quality, which STC claims and this encourage, the growers to produce the best quality.

After the buying is over the depots will send the purchased tobacco for processing to STC.

4.5.2 Green Leaf Thresher (GLT)

Green Leaf Threshing known as GLT section. The primary function of GLT is Cleaning and Classification; by classification we mean separating leaf into two parts lamina and stem. For that a number of threshers and classifiers are used. Function of GLT is basically threshing of tobacco and divides it into lamina and stem, which is sent for further action to primary manufacturing department. GLT is the first process inside the factory, which carried out during the harvesting season of tobacco normally from July to December. When GLT starts processing, it means that the very first process of making cigarette starts. In this step the GLT orders tobacco from the UTS (Un prized Tobacco Store). The tobacco is finally weighted and graded. The tobacco then arrives is checked and unwanted grades or worn out tobacco is rejected. From that on the process of GLT starts.

4.5.3 Quality Assurance GLT

For quality of lamina and stem numbers of tests are conducted. Quality assurance is done in following manner

·         Sampling

·         Test

·         Compilation

Following tests are conducted in quality department

·         Particle size distribution

·         Stem in lamina and object able stem

·         Moisture test

·         Temperature measurement

·         Foreign matter in product

·         Stem sizing

·         Lamina on stem

·         Sand determination