Tobacco farmers reap rich harvest

As auctions were half-way through at the 20 platforms of the Tobacco Board in coastal Andhra Pradesh this season, farmers sold away 71.29 million kg flue cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco after 70 days of auctions.

The crop authorised for 2005-06 was 127.90 million kg and the harvest estimated was 141.10 million. Farmers this season have, so far, earned an average price of Rs 46.67 a kg tobacco compared to last year's (2004-05) average of Rs 37.69 against a sale of 70.69 million kg after 70 days of auctioning.

The figures provided by the Tobacco Board here show that the tobacco crop of northern light soils (NLS) in West and East Godavari districts has been adjudged as the best one among FCV tobaccos. The crop has so far fetched its producers the highest price per kg in auctions under progress at Devarapalli, J R Gudem-1, J R Gudem-2 and Koyyalagudem platforms. Many of these farmers earned an unprecedented Rs 62 per kg. Farmers of the two districts also received the highest average price of Rs 57.03.

The next highest average price of Rs 42.50 per kg tobacco was earned by the farmers of southern light soils (SLS). And Rs 53 a kg was the best individual price collected by a number of them in these areas under platforms Podili-1, Podili-2, Kandukur-1, Kandukur-2, Kaligiri and DCpalli auction floors in Prakasam district.

Farmers of southern black soils (SBS) have so far earned third highest average price of Rs 41.67 per kg. A score of them received individual best price of Rs 50 in auctions at Velampally, Velampally-2, Ongole-2, Tangutur and Kondepi platforms in Prakasam district. Farmers, demanding better prices, stopped auctions at Ongole-1 floor.

Growers of central black soils (CBS) in Guntur and Krishna districts have so far received an average price of Rs 38.63 per kg at Guntur and Keesara platforms respectively. Their counterparts of northern black soils (NBS) received the lowest average price of Rs 37.98 at Bhadrachalam and Thorredu floors in Khammam district. The best individual price so far recorded for both CBS and NBS crop was Rs 45 per kg.

Tobacco harvest in southern black soils (SBS) has been put at 47.39 million kg (authorised 38.26 million kg). Farmers of southern light soils reaped an estimated harvest of 46.76 million kg (authorised 44.45 million kg) and their counterparts of northern light soils (NLS) cured 39.20 million kg (authorised 34.47 million kg) tobacco crop.

Tobacco growers of central black soils (CBS) and northern black soils (NBS) realised 4 million kg (authorised 5.95 million kg) and 3.75 million kg (authorised 4.77 million kg) harvest respectively.