Tobacco Board fixes 136 mn kg quota for AP

Guntur: Tobacco Board fixed 136 million kg crop size for Andhra Pradesh for 2018-19 at a meeting held in board office here on Monday. While the farmers demanded 150 million kg, the board decided the quantity at 136 million kgs to ensure a better price to the farmers. The board is of the opinion that demand for tobacco would come down in crop quantity increases. 

The meeting, presided over by Tobacco Board chairman Manoj Dwivedi, also decided to set up a committee to study alternative crops for farmers to reduce crop size in the years to come. Due to reduction of crops during the last season, the farmers got Rs 176 a-kg. Later, the meeting elected Gaddumanugu Satyanarayana as vice-chairman of the board. 

Meanwhile, the traders and farmers are expressing dissatisfaction over board not increasing crop size in the state. Special chief secretary (marketing)  B Rajasekhar, Union ministry of commerce official  N Ramesh, Tobacco Board officials were among those who participated in the meeting.