Ongole: Farmers representation sought in framing tobacco control regulations
ITGA and FAIFA members celebrating World Tobacco Growers' Day in Ongole on Friday
Ongole (Prakasam District): The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), in association with the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA), celebrated World Tobacco Growers' Day in Ongole on Friday. Speaking on occasion, the leaders and members of the farmers' associations observed that the Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco growers are facing troubles due to the extensive regulations influenced by the false propaganda of foreign vested NGOs, and the increasing boom for the illegal and contraband cigarette market in the country.
Tobacco Board member FAIFA executive member Mareddy Subrahmanyeswara Reddy said that the production of FCV has dropped from 325 million kgs in 2014-15 to 180 million kgs in 2020-21, and the farmers suffered a loss of about Rs 1,300 crore per year in the period. He said that India has become fourth largest and fastest-growing illicit cigarette market in the world, as the sale of smuggled cigarettes was doubled from 13.5 billion sticks in 2006 to 30 billion sticks in 2021. He observed that as the smuggled and contraband cigarette sales increased primarily due to higher and punitive taxation and demanded immediate and strict regulations to curb the rising illicit cigarette market in the country.
FAIFA vice-president Gadde Seshagiri Rao said that tobacco is providing direct and indirect employment to more than 4.75 crore people in the country, including 70 per cent of them from agricultural sector. He said that tobacco is a highly remunerative crop and a study by Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) showed that there is no other crop in the tobacco-growing regions provide equal remuneration to farmers and workers. He asked the Union government for extending all
required support to the FCV
growers, to meet international standards.
Tobacco Board members P Varaprasad, B Brahmaiah, former vice-president P Bhadrireddy, farmer leaders P Narasimha Rao, V Varaprasad, N Bhaskar, K Subbarao and others also participated in the programme.