Rattled over the move to restrict the cultivation of tobacco, growers in Karnataka have urged the Government to protect their interests while formulating policies.

In the southern Karnataka districts of Mysore, Hassan and Chamrajanagar, an estimated one lakh growers are engaged in cultivating tobacco under rain-fed condition on around 1.25 lakh hectares. The light soil in the region makes it unviable for them to grow alternative crops, they said.

“The cultivation and marketing of flue cured virginia (FCV) tobacco is entirely regulated by the Tobacco Board,” said Vikram Raj Urs, Secretary, Federation of Karnataka Virginia Tobacco Growers Association. Karnataka produces about 100 million kg (mkg) of tobacco, while total production in the country is estimated at 800 mkg. Of this, about 500 mikg is unregulated mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Javare Gowda, President of the Federation, said that only 15 per cent of the tobacco is used by the cigarette industry, while the rest is consumed in different forms. The current policies are indirectly leading to large scale smuggling of cigarettes, causing loss to the Government as well as farmers by reducing the demand for locally grown tobacco.

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