VIJAYAWADA: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued orders relaxing the restrictions imposed by the Tobacco Board Act 1975 to allow the sale of excess flue cured virgina (FCV) tobacco in the State via auction platforms authorised by the Tobacco Board. A gazette notification for the same was issued on July 4.
The orders by the ministry came in response to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s letter to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on April 25. In his letter, Jagan explained that tobacco happens to be one of the important commercial crops grown in Andhra Pradesh. FCV tobacco crop is cultivated under southern light soils and southern black soils regions in Prakasam, Nellore, Bapatla, Planadu, and Guntur and under northern light soils in West and East Godavari districts.
He said the crop was severely affected due to the Mandous cyclone. “Of the total tobacco grown in 53,000 hectares, more than 50% of the area was severely damaged due to which the farmers replanted the crop as there is no alternate crop.
Mandous cyclone caused tobacco growers to incur additional costs on the production of the crop during this year as the farmers were forced to go for replanting, which also forced the farmer to irrigate the crop during the season to save the crop. Cost of production increased heavily due to replanting, irrigation and increased labour costs,” he said.
As the FCV tobacco farmers have already incurred heavy losses and spent huge amounts for replanting and irrigating, they are not in a position to pay the penalties to the tobacco board on excess tobacco produced beyond the authorised quantity. Citing the orders allowing the sale of the excess FCV tobacco produced in Karnataka, the CM urged similar orders be issued to help the tobacco growers in State.