Tobacco exports grow by 19%

India exported 96,001 tonne of tobacco and its products worth Rs 885.83 crore in the first two quarters of 2006-07, registering a growth of 19 per cent compared with that of the same priod last year.

The exports included 83,774 of leaf tobacco worth Rs 679.16 crore and 12,227 tonne of tobacco products valued at Rs 206.67 crore. In the same quarters of 2005-06, tobacco exports touched 80,824 tonne worth Rs 646.83 crore, which was inclusive of 72,283 tonne of tobacco (Rs 510.46 crore) and 8,541 tonne of tobacco products (Rs 138.37 crore).

Country's tobacco export to all the continents, except for the East European countries, registered a growth.

Among the countries, Belgium with a purchase of 11,322 tonne of tobacco (worth Rs 113.23 crore) emerged as the most favoured customer followed by Russia, our traditional buyer, which bought 10,506 tonne (a decrease over last year) worth Rs 72.91 crore.

J Suresh Babu, executive director, Tobacco Board, told Buisness Standard that of the total exports in the first two quarters of the financial year 2006-07, the much sought-after flue-cured Virginia tobacco (FCV) logged in 67,736 tonne (worth Rs 585.67 crore). In the same period last year (2005-06), FCV's figure was 54,153 tonne (worth Rs. 414.12 crore).

He said that of the tobacco products, 2,886 tonne of cigarettes (Rs 63.13 crore) was exported during the period. The other products exported were: 217 tonne of beedis worth Rs 16.17 crore, 5,238 tonne of hookah tobacco paste worth Rs. 21.07 crore, 2,376 tonne of chewing (zarada) tobacco worth Rs. 87.84 crores, 1,473 tonne of cut tobacco worth Rs 17.75 crore, 33 tonne of snuff worth Rs 60.42 lakh and 4 tonne of cigars worth Rs 10.6 lakh.

He said West Europe continued to be the biggest buyers of Indian tobacco. As many as 13 western European countries imported 26,094 tonne of tobacco leaf worth Rs 245.95 crore. Similarly, 13 South Asian and South East Asian countries lifted 17,529 tonne of tobacco worth Rs 148.25 crore.

East European occupied the third place with 16 countries together accounting for 16,736 tonne of tobacco worth Rs 121.37 crore.

Besides, seven West Asian countries lifted 6,457 tonne worth Rs 33.10 crore, 15 African countries imported 13,751 tonne of tobacco worth Rs 108.46 crore while the countries from Australian continents occupied the lowest place with a buy of 733 tonne worth Rs 7 crore.