Burley harvest put at 41 mn kg

Andhra Pradesh is known for cultivation of the world-famous flue-cured Virginia tobacco (FCV), but few know that farmers here also produce lesser-known Burley tobacco and country tobacco (wild), containing high nicotine compared to FCV. These two varieties do not come under the Tobacco Board purview and open market decides their fortunes.

Burley is of two types "" black soil and light soil. The crops are also divided into sun-cured and air-cured types, depending on how they are cured after harvesting. Tobacco experts put the black soil Burley harvest at 25 million kg and light soil Burley harvest at 16 million kg for 2005-06 season.

About 35 million kg of this crop is expected to be exported with the remaining crop certain to be consumed by the domestic industry. The production of country tobacco has been put at 15 million kg. These tobacco varieties are mainly used as blends in cigarettes and other tobacco products.

HDBRG (Harvel Dio Baixo Rio Grande) is the number one premium tobacco among these varieties. A sun-cured black soil crop, the HDBRG is being cultivated in about 25,000 acres in the Parchur belt of Prakasam district and at Takkellapadu and Vinukonda in Guntur district. An expected yield of 7-10 quintals per acre is likely to put the crop output at 25 million kg, marketing for which will begin in January.

Light soil Burley tobacco, developed by ITC, is being cultivated in the Vinukonda area. This air-cured Burley's yield has been estimated to be 5 million kg. Each kg of this variety of tobacco is likely to fetch around Rs 35 per kg.

Yeleswaram Burley, also a light soil type and number- 2 premium crop, is under cultivation in the agency area of East Godavari district and in the areas along Andhra-Orissa border.

ITC is said to be assisting farmers to grow this crop along the border. Market sources said the recent heavy rains badly damaged this crop. The crop is grown in 20,000 acres with yield being expected to be about 6.5 million kg, at 3-4 quintal per acre.

The other well-known variety is Warangal Burley, mainly developed by VST of Hyderabad in the district. The crop is a light soil variety and number-3 premium variety. The crop yield is estimated at 4.5 million kg, at an average of four quintals per acre for the current season.