British Universities Film & Video Council

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Crisis in Fort Jameson

Series

Series Name
Rhodesian Spotlight

Issue

Issue No.
39
Stories in this Issue:
  1. 1Gadgets Galore
  2. 2Northern Rhodesian Derby
  3. 3Curtain Up
  4. 4Boxing - Jimmy Elliott v. Tiberio Mitri
  5. 5Crisis in Fort Jameson
  6. 652 Years Under British Protection
  7. 74th Soccer Test - South African vs. FA Touring Team

Story

Story No. within this Issue
5 / 7
Summary
Rhodesian Spotlight Commentary - Fort Jameson - oldest European settlement in Northern Rhodesia and cradle of its Tobacco Industry, faces a grave crisis. Alarmed at last year’s average tobacco prices of 26 pence and 24 pence a pound, Government Tobacco Extension officers have spent a year studying conditions and advising growers on better methods to increase quality and returns per acre. Though uncertain rainfall appeared largely to blame, there was evidence that certain malpractices could be displaced with more experienced knowledge. In most cases ready co-operation was given by the already sorely-tried farmers. Three extension officers visited tobacco farms throughout the district, offering advice and collating their findings into a detailed survey. They found some of the soils as good as any in the Federation, yet the tobacco grown generally lacked quality. They made recommendations on the spot, not only growing the tobacco but for its harvesting and for the subsequent preparation and treatment of the leaf. Perhaps even more important than raising yields is the improvement of quality, and serious efforts were made to iron out kinks in the Flue Curing, which gives the leaf the golden colour most cigarette manufacturers nowadays demand. There can be no doubt that many improvements were brought about, and Fort Jameson growers fervently hoped for higher prices to ease the crisis which had forced many to give up facing ruin. But as the 1956 crop was graded, quality still left much to be desired. Then came the bombshell as the sales found Fort Jameson’s tobacco averaging less than 23 pence. Each lot knocked down was a hammer blow and only Federal financial aid can save Fort Jameson’s tobacco industry and dispel the discouragement of years of bitter frustrated endeavour.
Keywords
Agriculture; Industry and manufacture
Written sources
Movietone boxfile no.1   Used for synopsis
Credits:
Production Co.
Central African Film Unit
Length of story (in feet)
181

This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name
British Film Institute (BFI)
Email
For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk
Web
http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7580 7503
Address
21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Notes
The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
Series held
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