The virginia tobacco auctions in Karnataka have gathered momentum and so far 43 million kg of the crop have been sold on the 12 floors in the State at an average price of ₹114.20 a kg, according to officials in the Tobacco Board.
The authorised crop in that State is 104 mkg and no surplus is expected. Planting in Andhra Pradesh has been completed in most of the areas in the northern light soils, southern lights soils, southern black soils and northern black soils.
The authorised crop for the State during the crop year (2014-15) is 172 mkg.
During the last season (2013-14), against the authorised crop size of 172 mkg there was a surplus of 41.93 mkg in Andhra Pradesh.
On the floors of the State, 213.93 mkg of tobacco was sold at an average price of ₹116.06 a kg, which was ₹2.26 more than the previous year.
Surplus crop “The farmers in the State should understand that despite the surplus they could get a good price last season on the floors. But every time they may not be so lucky. The surplus crop depresses the price on the floors. They should, therefore, regulate the crop size and co-operate with the Board,” said K Gopal, Chairman, Tobacco Board.
He said there were no illegal off-the-floor sales in AP last year in spite of the surplus.
The electronic auction system had also brought in transparency, he said.
Pesticide residues had also been brought down.
The farmers in West Godavari district (northern light soils) have been restive that per-barn quota fixed by the board is not realistic and therefore they have no choice but to grow surplus to make cultivation sustainable.