The Tobacco Board has reduced the crop size by five per cent this year due to global agreement to cut output. Though the Board had permitted 170 million kg of tobacco in Andhra Pradesh for 2010-11, farmers have produced 185 million kg. This year, after prolonged deliberations with farmers and representatives of the Indian Tobacco Association, the Board had brought down the crop size to 160 million kg.
This was announced by the Board chairman, G Kamalavardhana Rao, at a meeting held with farmers at Kanchikacharla in Krishna district. The chairman met farmers of Krishna, Karimnagar and Warangal in Andhra Pradesh and their counterparts from Gadicharoli in Maharashtra and reviewed the crop details.
He said the board would not allow unauthorised crop this year and would even initiate stringent action if any farmer violated the rules. He also asked farmers not to grow excess crop, other than what is permitted. While farmers were unhappy with the low price for the crop in the last season, Rao informed them that the crop price in the international market too was low and they had no export orders. However, the board had prevailed upon exporters and traders to buy the crop to ensure that the farmers did not incur losses.
Meanwhile, the farmers in the southern light and the southern black soils, mostly spread over Prakasam district, are looking for alternative crops. They have faced severe problems in the last season with the traders not purchasing their product. Though farmers went on a strike for 15 days, there was not much response from traders. The board too intervened and held joint meetings with the traders and the farmers, but in vain.
Taking this into consideration, farmers from these two regions have decided to go for alternative crops for the 2011-12 season. Most farmers in Prakasam district have cut down the crop size on their own and have shifted to alternative crops like groundnut, which could be cultivated mostly in parts of Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts.
