The Hindu Business Line : Report on rehab of tobacco growers

NEW DELHI: The Tobacco Board will submit a road map on shifting the commodity farmers to other crops after a meeting on August 8 - five years after committing to the World Health Organisation to reduce tobacco's output by a half.

The Board, under the guidance of the Commerce Ministry, is to frame an action plan for reducing tobacco farming by 50 per cent in 10-15 years after signing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the apex global health body in 2003.

"We will meet growers, representatives of agriculture departments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, agriculture universities and the Central Tobacco Research Institute on August 8 in Guntur to prepare a road map on alternative crops. We will submit our r eport after that," Tobacco Board Chairman, Mr J Suresh Babu told PTI.

The Board will also meet industry players to know their views, Mr Babu added. The Commerce Ministry had, in February, proposed that a five-paise cess be imposed on each cigarette to raise funds for shifting farmers from tobacco cultivation.

Asked if such a proposal gathered support in ministries concerned, Mr Babu said, "We made a proposal. It's up to the government to take a final decision." The FCTC treaty aims to regulate tobacco production and consumption globally through taxation, smo king prevention and treatment, illicit trade, advertising, sponsorship and promotion and product control. India has about three million tobacco growers, mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. - PTI

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