The Hindu Business Line : Protect tobacco growers in AP, CM tells Centre

THE Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, urged the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, to protect the interests of the State tobacco growers by keeping in abeyance the orders pertaining to increasing the Karnataka tobacco crop size and regularisation of unauthorised barns.

In a letter to Mr Kamal Nath on Thursday, the Chief Minister stated that he had been informed that the Commerce Ministry had decided to increase the crop size of Karnataka from 53 million kg to 67 million kg during the current year and also to regularise 29,374 unauthorised tobacco barns in that State.

He said that such a step would adversely impact the Andhra Pradesh tobacco growers who have invested huge amounts in creating infrastructure for cultivation and curing of tobacco.

The trade had reportedly furnished their requirement as 74 million kg of Karnataka tobacco. He apprehended that increase in crop size could encourage the trade to create more and more artificial demand for the Karnataka tobacco causing further losses to the farmers of Andhra Pradesh.

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