With the output of tobacco crop expected to drop this year, in view of the unfavourable weather conditions, Pratap Simha, Mysuru MP, met Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 2, and urged him to advise the Tobacco Board to permit farmers to take up a late crop this year.
The MP pointed out that the tobacco growers had suffered a crop loss this year due to the delayed onset of monsoon. “Crop growth has been uneven and not satisfactory due to prolonged drought condition during the grand growth period. This circumstance led to a drop in productivity and impacting the financial status of the farmers since tobacco is the only source of their livelihood,” Mr. Simha said in a representation submitted to Mr. Barthwal in New Delhi.
He said that a few of the farmers, who had lost the crop – partially or completely – due to the moisture stress and diseases have taken up nursery and were planning to take up fresh plantation in order to recover their loss and protect their livelihood.
These farmers are planning to take up fresh plantation on an estimated 400 or 500 hectares, which is less than one per cent of the total area under tobacco cultivation, he said.
However, the Tobacco Board was not allowing farmers to take up plantation after July. “The farmers, who have invested in nursery, are in total distress,” he said, while pointing out that the Tobacco Board was threatening to cancel the tobacco cultivation licence of growers taking up plantation after July 2023.
Pratap Simha also alleged that the board was forcing farmers to destroy the already sown and grown-up nurseries, causing a huge loss and distress to the farmers.
Citing the latest estimates, the Mysuru MP said the 2023-24 crop size is unlikely to cross 80 million kg against the authorised quantity of 100 million kg. The maximum production expected from the fresh plantation will be no more than 1 million kg, he claimed.
Even if the farmers complete the plantation by September 15, 2023, the crop cycle can be completed before end of February 2024 and can be marketed during the same auction season. “This will not impact overall supply and demand situation this year,” he said.
Hence, he urged the Commerce Secretary to advise the Tobacco Board to permit the farmers to take up plantation till September 15 this year.
Meanwhile, the Federation of FCV Tobacco Growers’ Association president Javare Gowda said there was a demand for tobacco from the trading community. In view of the dip in tobacco production worldwide, the demand for the product is high.
The cycle of tobacco crop usually starts with sowing in nurseries in March and plantation in May first week. By July, the tobacco leaves will be harvested to start the process of curing in barns after which the cured tobacco leaves will be segregated on the basis of their grades for marketing at the auction platforms that open by September.
