▁North ▁Carolina ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁producer ▁of ▁to b acco , ▁with ▁around ▁ 1 , 8 0 0 ▁to b acco ▁far ms ▁employ ing ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁workers ▁yield ing ▁in ▁ 4 0 0 ▁million ▁pounds ▁of ▁the ▁c rop ▁ann ually . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁US , ▁the ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁sm ok ers , ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Tob acco ▁Trans ition ▁Pay ment ▁Program ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁and ▁competition ▁from ▁grow ers ▁in ▁other ▁countries , ▁made ▁to b acco ▁far ming ▁econom ics ▁more ▁challeng ing ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁China ▁At ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁global ▁to b acco ▁production , ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 0 ▁million ▁rural ▁Chinese ▁households ▁producing ▁to b acco ▁on ▁ 2 . 1 ▁million ▁hect ares ▁of ▁land . ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁major ▁c rop ▁for ▁millions ▁of ▁Chinese ▁far mers , ▁growing ▁to b acco ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁prof itable ▁as ▁cot ton ▁or ▁sugar ▁can e . ▁This ▁is ▁because ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government ▁sets ▁the ▁market ▁price . ▁While ▁this ▁price ▁is ▁guaranteed , ▁it ▁is ▁lower ▁than ▁the ▁natural ▁market ▁price ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁market ▁risk . ▁To ▁further ▁control ▁to b acco ▁in ▁their ▁borders , ▁China ▁founded ▁the ▁State ▁Tob acco ▁Mon opol y ▁Administration ▁( ST MA ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ST MA ▁controls ▁to b acco ▁production , ▁market ing