News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Rhodesian Spotlight

Issue

Issue No.

39

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. Gadgets Galore
• 2. Northern Rhodesian Derby
• 3. Curtain Up
• 4. Boxing - Jimmy Elliott v. Tiberio Mitri
• 5. Crisis in Fort Jameson
• 6. 52 Years Under British Protection
• 7. 4th 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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