The Tobacco Board is planning to open seven more auction platforms in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for the next season.
It has already sent proposals to the Centre to open four new platforms in AP and three in Karnataka. This is in addition to the e-auction that the board plans to start in Karnataka from the coming season.
The board now has 20 platforms in AP and 11 in Karnataka. The new platforms would come up in Aswaraopet in Khammam district, Santhanuthalapadu and Tanguturu in Prakasam and Koyyalagudem in West Godavari district. Similarly, in Karnataka, these would come up at HD Kote and Bettadapura in Mysore district and Ramanathapura in Hassan district.
These platforms would meet the requirement of farmers, who are continuing tobacco cultivation for the past five years. Farmers have been facing problems in shifting tobacco bales to the nearest platforms, which made the board go for new platforms closer to farmers, said a senior official from the board.
The board would have to invest in electronic weighing machines and computers besides other establishment at these seven new auction platforms.
Meanwhile, a fall in the output for the season is expected both in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh due to incessant rain in December last year.
The board had fixed over 100 million kg of tobacco in Karnataka and 175 million kg for Andhra Pradesh for the season beginning in February. However, officials assess that the production would not reach the target because of the damage caused by rain.
“We are expecting 125 to 130 million kg from Andhra Pradesh and 80 to 90 million kg from Karnataka,” the official said.
