Age Structure and Change Trend of Tobacco Farmers: A Case Study of Shashi Town, Liuyang City, Hunan Province

Taking the tobacco-growing area of Shashi Town, Liuyang City as the object, the number of registered, newly added and resigned tobacco farmers in each year, average age, number and proportion of tobacco farmers of different ages, number and proportion of tobacco farmers born in different eras, as well as planting scale and planting history of flue-cured tobacco in the last 10 years were analyzed statistically. The results showed that the number of tobacco farmers in Shashi Town showed a rapid decline trend from 2012 to 2018, while the average age continuously increased, and the average planting scale rose in a wave like way. From 2019 to 2021, the decline rate of the number of tobacco farmers slowed down, and the average planting scale continuously increased, while the aging of tobacco farmers accelerated. Meantime, the birth years of tobacco farmers were further concentrated in the 1960s, and they were mainly at the age of 50-59. The tobacco industry in Shashi Town of Liuyang City is facing the crisis of aging tobacco farmers and no successor of flue-cured tobacco planting, and it is predicted that the next 5-10 years will continue the change trend from 2019 to 2021.