The International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) has urged the government to promote balanced regulations to protect the interest and livelihood of small farmers and rural workers.
“We believe that the regulation of tobacco products must take into account the impact on tobacco production and the livelihoods of farmers and labourers,” according to a statement issued by ITGA President Francois van der Merwe.in the backdrop of the Asia Tobacco Forum held in New Delhi.. The Forum, a congregation of growers’ organisations from India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, adopted a declaration on protection of livelihood and transparency in regulations.
It suggested that India, as the host country for the forthcoming Conference of Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to be held in November 2016, could use the opportunity to leave its footprint on global policy by promoting balanced regulations.
The FCTC, Mr. Merwe said, must have a transparent discussion on theissue.
Fresh regulations by the government on pictorial warnings covering 80 per cent of the cigarette packets led to an industry-wide closure.As much as 80 per cent pictorial warnings on cigarette packets had led to an industry-wide closure of manufacturing units earlier this month.
According to the ITGA declaration, growers felt that quite often NGOs and other anti-tobacco activists adopted a stance based on “misleading” data to influence government organisations. It appealed to the government to conduct its own independent studies.
According to ITGA, tobacco was an important crop in many Asian countries and India was the world’s second largest tobacco producer.
