Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote a letter to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, urging him to issue orders to the Tobacco Board, Guntur, to allow the sale of excess Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco produced by the registered growers of Andhra Pradesh.
In the letter on Wednesday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy wanted the Union Minister to ensure that no penalty was levied on FCV tobacco produced in the Southern Black Soil (SBS), Southern Light Soil (SLS) and Northern Light Soil (NSL) regions of Andhra Pradesh exclusively for the 2022-23 crop season on the lines permitted to the Karnataka farmers and in public interest.
The exemption of penalty on the excess produce would be a relief to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh, who suffered a loss due to the Mandous cyclone, the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the tobacco crop was severely affected due to the cyclonic. Crop to an extent of more than 50% of the 53,000 hectares was severely damaged, as a result of which farmers had to replant the crop and incur additional expenditure on production.
Cost of production increased due to replanting, irrigation and increased labour costs, he said, adding that the farmers were not in a position to pay the penalties to the Tobacco Board on excess produce.
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry had authorised the Tobacco Board, Guntur, to allow the sale of excess FCV tobacco produced by the registered growers and also unauthorised FCV tobacco produced by the unregistered growers in Karnataka without any penalty during the 2022-23 crop season.
The tobacco farmers in Andhra Pradesh should also be allowed to sell the excess produce, the Chief Minister said.
