ONGOLE: The tobacco growers of the district are expressing joy for getting best prices for their produce in the ongoing tobacco auctions conducted by the Tobacco Board at various centres under the Southern Block Soils (SBS) region and Southern Light Soils (SLS) region limits.
As the demand for the tobacco stocks have increased enormously in the international market and supplies are decreased across the world, the farmers are being offered Rs 241 to Rs 243 per kg of produce, which is the highest price offered so far.
For the last few days, tobacco buyers are offering higher prices for almost all grades of tobacco bales as they got the approval from their foreign companies to honour the earlier orders.
On Friday, the Ongole-2 auction platform offered the highest price of Rs 229 per kg while Kondepi, Vellampalli, Ongole, Podili and Tangutur auction platforms provided Rs 239 to Rs 243 per kg prices for top-quality stocks. In this connection, the tobacco board authorities are advising the growers not to spend more money for the next season on land and tobacco baren leases, and other expenditures keeping these prices in mind.
“This is due to the approval and acceptance of their supply orders of international tobacco buyers to our tobacco companies/exporters/buyers who have been participating in the ongoing tobacco auctions. On the other hand the tobacco stocks supply scarcity from the regular tobacco exporting countries also enhanced the chances for our exporters. This is a very good time for all our tobacco growers as they are happy with the best price offered for their produce in the auction platforms,” M Lakshmana Rao, regional manager-Tobacco Board SBS & SLS regions told TNIE.
“This is the first time in the last 10 years that our tobacco produce has bagged the highest profit at Ongole-2 auction centre. Almost every farmer in the district has got remunerative prices for their produce,” P Subba Reddy, a tobacco grower from Maddipadu.