| Tobacco growers blame Board for low rates | |
| BS Reporter / Chennai/ Mysore November 10, 2009, 0:45 IST | |
Tobacco growers of Mysore district today blamed the Tobacco Board for fall in prices of the globally much-sought after India’s flue cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco cultivated in Karnataka.
“Though open auction system for the sale of tobacco operates, the Board and the tobacco-buying companies have colluded and fixed a single ceiling rate, jeopardizing the interests of the cultivators, Virginia Tobacco Growers’ State-level President Javare Gowda charged here today.
He, along with other tobacco growers’ association leaders, told a press conference that consequent to the Board’s anti-farmers’ attitude, tobacco cultivators were not even able to cover their expenses.
Javare Gowda opposed the proposal of Board chairman J Suresh Babu to introduce open market system for tobacco marketing.
“If traders are allowed to buy directly from the market, the growers’ interests would totally suffer. The Board is safeguarding the interests of the traders instead of protecting the farmers,” he citicised, urging the Centre not to allow the proposed open market system for tobacco.
SC & ST Tobacco Growers’ Association State President Nagaraj Malladi said despite good prices in the international market for Indian tobacco, with its anti-growers’ approach the Board was compelling them to sell tobacco at lower prices than the previous year. They were getting Rs 120-125 as against Rs 198 a kg last year.
Though two months had passed since the commencement of tobacco auction during the current season, the Board had not appointed vigilance squads to check unofficial sale of tobacco. Companies had bought around 10 million kg tobacco outside and this had affected the rate the cultivators should have got. “This clearly shows that the Board is hand in glove with the traders,” he said.
Another leader Chandre Gowda charged that the Board had deducted Rs. 1,218 as insurance premium from their amount without their knowledge.
This had proved a burden to the cultivators who were already hit by low prices. This amount should be refunded, he said. Making a demand for immediate introduction of electronic auction, which the Board had decided earlier and spent money too, District Farmers’ Association president Hosur Kumar said electronic auction was aimed at reforming tobacco marketing and would ensure fair marketing and increase competition in the tobacco market.
The leaders cautioned the Board that if it failed to meet their demands and bring about changes in the interest of tobacco cultivators, they would be compelled to resort to agitation. They also pleaded with the Centre and State governments to intervene and protect their interests.
Last year, Karnataka had marketed 109.71 million kg tobacco at an average price of Rs 114 per kg, against its authorised production of 97.3 million kg. Andhra Pradesh had marketed 84.75 million kg at a higher average price of Rs 165.3 a kg. Its authorised production was 149.9 million kg. Karnataka’s 2009 authorized crop has exceeded 100 million kg for the first time.
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