Abstract: Aiming at the status that domestic upper leaves fail to be extensively used in the cigarette blends of Class Ⅰand Class Ⅱ because of the leaf is not fully ripened and short in usability.It was pointed out that improving the usability of upper leaves was an important measure for promoting cigarette up to a higher level.The factors restricting the improvement of usability of upper leaves were discussed in terms of grading standards,price gaps between grades,traditional perception,harvesting and curing technologies.The significance of leaf maturity to its usability was described from the angle of relationships of leaf usability with quality and maturity.The measures for speeding up the improvement of upper leaf usability were suggested from the points of basic considerations,technical requirements,division and collaboration of tasks,and security of operations.