Guntur: Tobacco Board to meet tomorrow

Guntur: The Tobacco Board meeting to be held on August 5 will discuss on tobacco crop size for this season and fix the crop size for AP taking demand for tobacco into consideration.

The meeting is expected to reduce tobacco crop size in the State at least by 20 % to 30% due to reduction in demand for the product in the domestic and international markets.

There has been a reduction in cigarette smoking due to the lockdown caused by outbreak of Covid-19. The board is feeling that if the production is reduced, the demand for tobacco will increase and farmers will get a better price.

During the last season the board had fixed 136 million kg of tobacco for the State. The farmers produced 130 million kg of yield. Due to the fall in tobacco prices, the AP State Cooperative Marketing Federation swung into action and purchased tobacco stocks from the farmers to enable them to get better price.

So far, 70 million kg tobacco has been purchased from the farmers. The board is expected to purchase another 30 million kg of tobacco by August end.

Speaking to The Hans India, Tobacco Board chairman Yadlapati Raghunath Babu said, "There is a need to reduce tobacco crop size in Andhra Pradesh. I am expecting that the proposal will be made by the farmers and traders. If they did not move proposal, the meeting will discuss and take steps to reduce crop size in AP. The board will conduct meeting through the zoom app on August 5 and take a decision on it."