Mysuru MP Pratap Simmha has assured tobacco growers in the State of a complete waiver of penalty on the unauthorised crop during the ensuing auction season.
In a social media post on Friday, Mr. Simmha said a government order extending complete waiver of penalty and the commission on the unauthorised tobacco will be issued by Monday.
He said he had taken up the matter with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and other officials of the Department and Tobacco Board and sought a waiver in penalty and commission in view of the prevailing drought in Karnataka.
Claiming that Mr. Goyal had already approved the waiver, the MP said a government order in the regard would be issued by Monday evening.
The Tobacco Board, which has fixed a crop size of 100 million kg for Karnataka, levies a penalty of ₹2 on every kg of tobacco grown without authorisation, besides 10 per cent of the proceeds.
The Mysuru MP said he had received a lot of calls from farmers seeking waiver in penalty to facilitate early sale of their tobacco at the auction platforms.
Pointing out that the tobacco prices were commanding an average price of ₹240 to ₹250 per kg this year, Mr. Simmha appealed to the growers of unauthorised tobacco not to sell their produce through other license holders and lose money. “Please have patience for two to three days. The orders (on waiver of penalty) will come by Monday evening and you can start selling your tobacco (at the auction platforms) from Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said.
He said he had impressed upon the government the need to extend the waiver to the tobacco farmers given the drought prevailing in the State. Tobacco crops have turned out to be the only source of income for farmers of the State, who had lost a variety of crops including ragi, paddy, jowar, etc. “ Hence, I have requested the Minister not to levy penalty on the unauthorised tobacco,” he said.
The Mysuru MP said tobacco was cultivated by an estimated 56,000 licensed tobacco growers in Hunsur, Periyapatna, H.D. Kote, and K.R. Nagar taluks in Mysuru district, besides Arkalgud in neighbouring Hassan district. Apart from the authorised tobacco cultivated by license holders, the tobacco grown by farmers without licenses and authorisation is regarded as unauthorised tobacco by the Tobacco Board.
Meanwhile, president of Federation of Virginia Flue Cured Tobacco Growers’ Association Javare Gowda said the tobacco yield is expected to be in the range of 90 million kg this year though the Tobacco Board had authorised a crop size of 100 million kg.
About 70 per cent of the tobacco had already been auctioned at the auction platforms, yielding the farmers an average of ₹250 per kg, which is about ₹20 more than the average price last year.
