Tobacco farmers reap rich dividends in Karnataka

Tobacco auctions in Karnataka are yielding good returns with farmers earning an average price of Rs 109.80 per kg for flue-cured Virginia crop as against Rs 59.25 per kg during the entire season last year. After 98 days of auctions on the tobacco platforms in Karnataka, farmers sold 83.15 million kg export-oriented flue-cured Virginia crop. They harvested 103.76 million kg tobacco this season as against the authorised crop of 96.52 million kg. Tobacco Board chairman J Suresh Babu said Karnataka farmers were receiving profitable rates for the second year in a row with the price seeing an increase of 12-15 paise per kg daily in the auctions. This season’s best price on a single day has been Rs 155.60 per kg as against Rs 70 per kg last year.

This year, farmers produced 26.69 million kg bright grade tobacco (32.10 per cent of the total crop), 38.25 million kg medium grade tobacco (46 per cent), and 18.21 million kg low grade tobacco (21.90 per cent). Bright grade tobacco received Rs 126.71 per kg (Rs 67.30 only last year).