烟叶是支柱产业之一，也是财政增收的重要经济来源。烟叶为恩施州的经济和社会发展发挥了重要作用。
全州烟叶种植面积稳定在40千公顷左右，收购量75000吨以上，占湖北省年均烟叶收购量的50%以上，农民直接经济收入达到3.77亿元，实现烟叶特产税8356万元。
　　为适应市场发展需求，恩施州在烟叶生产上以提高质量为核心，以市场为导向，在科技兴烟"三个转移"上狠下功夫，实现了品种良种化、种植规范化、生产布局区域化。
　　目前，合理布局，烤烟重点乡64个，白肋烟重点乡30个。其中1万亩以上科技示范乡23个。500亩以上科技示范乡35个，1000亩以上科技示范村75个，100亩以上科技示范组794个，5亩以上科技示范户23540户。
恩施州生产的烤烟与"云烟"媲美，白肋烟质量居国内之首。产品远销欧洲、非洲，东南亚等20多个国家和地区，现成为国家四大烟叶生产基础之一。
　　目前，恩施州与世界最大烟草集团菲英公司、BAT公司及国内上海烟草集团合作办基地，在科技上联合攻关，技术上相互合作，进一步巩固烟叶基地，提高烟叶质量发挥了重要作用。
烟草工作，当务之急是加快卷烟工业结构调整和技术改造，适应全国卷烟工业集团化发展的形势，抓好利川卷烟厂40万标箱扩建改革，把利川卷烟厂培植成全州卷烟工业龙头，实行资产重组、走集团（公司）化发展之路。

kingdom of Tobacco

The tobacco leaf is one of the pillar industries and the important economic source that the finance raises. The tobacco leaf has played an important role for the economic and social development that bestowed favour in the prefecture.

The tobacco leaf cultivated area in the prefecture is steady about 40,000 hectares,  and purchase volume is more than 75000 tons, account for Hubei average annual tobacco leaf 50% more than of purchase volume. The economic income of peasant up to 377 million yuan directly, realize the local product tax of 83,560,000 yuan of tobacco leaf .

In order to meet the demand of developing of the market , the government produces regarding raising the quality as the core in the tobacco leaf, market-oriented, worked hard resolutly in prospering " three pieces of transformation " of cigarette with science and technology, realized the variety improved variety, planted in the standardization, production distribution area.

At present, due to rational overall arrangement, there are 64 key townships of the flue-cured tobacco and 30 white key townships of rib cigarette, including 23 scientific and technological townships of demonstration of more than 666.667 hectares, 35 scientific and technological townships of demonstration of more than 33.333 hectares, 75 scientific and technological villages of demonstration of more than 66.667 hectares, 794 scientific and technological groups of demonstration of more than 6.667 hectares, 23540 sci-tech model households of more than 0.333 hectares.

The flue-cured tobacco produced in Enshi prefecture can compare favourably with " cloud tobacco ", and white rib cigarette quality occupies the first place in our country. The products find a good sale in more than 20 countries and regions , such as Europe , Africa , Southeast Asia ,etc. . Now the prefecture is one of four major national foundations for   tobacco leaves produce.

At present, Enshi prefecture and Great Britain of Philippines Company ,which is the largest tobacco group Company in the world, and BAT Company ,and domestic Shanghai tobacco group's cooperation ,  run the base, jointly tackle key problems on science and technology, cooperate with each other technically , consolidate the tobacco leaf base further, have improved tobacco leaf quality and played an important role.

The task of top priority of tobacco work is to accelerate industrial restructuring of cigarettes and technological transformation , meet the situation of grouping development of national cigarette industry, do a good job of marking the case and extending the reform , cultivates the cigar factory of Lichuan into a cigarette industry leader of overall prefecture, implement the rearrangement of assets , the group (company ) goes to melt on the road to development.