The Tobacco Board’s move for regularisation of tobacco crop triggered protest from the growers in the northern light soil (NLS) area at a programme attended by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitaraman here on Monday.

Some formers interrupted her address to complain that they were subjected to harassment by the Tobacco Board in the name of regularizing the tobacco crop. As part of the endeavour to discourage unauthorised tobacco cultivation, the board is said to have suspended renewal of a little over 2,000 barons in the NLS area alone falling under West Godavari district this year. The measure was intended to off-set the demand-supply gaps and ensure price stabilisation in the international market. The growers witnessed a decline in price by Rs 14 per kg last year in view of the glut in the market caused by excess production from the unauthorised area.

The Tobacco Board reportedly identified 900 growers to be having 1030 unlicensed barons in the NLA area covering the unauthorized crop area of over 10,000 acres. The board authorities declined the requests of these growers to renew their 13,000 registered barons for their alleged failure to comply with the former’s direction to dismantle the unlicensed ones. The Minister grew impatient at one stage and asked why the growers remained calm during the 10-year UPA regime. “You don’t expect to get all the problems solved overnight by the NDA government,” she said.

Ms. Nirmala offered to lead a delegation of tobacco growers to the Union Ministers concerned on imposition of a blanket ban on tobacco cultivation in line with the WHO’s health concerns. Sharing the growers’ concern, she said the blanket ban on the tobacco crop was not possible and feasible until suitable alternative crops were suggested by the government.

Kakarla V.V.S. Prakasa Rao, president of the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association, informed the Minister that the so-called alternative crops recommended by the Centre for Tobacco Research Institute were not viable economically and climate-wise also in the NLS area marked by sandy loams.

Source: TH