MARKFED urged to purchase no grade tobacco at 80 per kg

Ongole: The Black Soil Farmers Welfare Association demanded the MARKFED to purchase the no grade tobacco for at least Rs 80 per kg. They also demanded that the cigarette manufacturing companies purchase low-grade tobacco also.

The association president Pothula Narasimha Rao, honorary president Pammi Bhadrireddy, other leaders Mareddy Subbaredy, VV Prasad and others said that the tobacco farmers are not able to sell their produce even after 90 days of starting the auction. They said that the delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic and heavy rains made the leaf to change colour and lose weight so that the grade is dropped from bright grade to low grade. They said that the farmers sold about 42 million KGs of the tobacco and yet 40 million KGs are remaining with them.

Due to the crisis, the government ordered the MARKFED to purchase the tobacco from the farmers. They said that cigarette manufacturing companies like ITC and GPI used to purchase 80 percent of the tobacco including the low grade, but since the entry of MARKFED they reduced the purchase to 10 percent and stopped the purchase of low-grade tobacco. They said that the reduction in the purchase of tobacco by the companies is forcing the farmers into crisis again. They demanded the companies to start purchasing the low-grade tobacco again and asked the MARKFED to purchase the no grade tobacco as well at a minimum price of Rs 80 per KG. They announced that from the next season, they would reduce the crop area and ask the government to enforce a compulsory purchase contract system with the companies.