Center Gives Permission To Sell FCV Tobacco To Help AP Farmers

Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal has approved the sale of surplus flue cured Virginia tobacco produced by registered growers on auction platforms in Andhra Pradesh for the 2023-24 crop season. They can sell the tobacco on Tobacco Board auction platforms at normal applicable service charges. The Minister also waived additional service charges in consideration of the crop loss on an area of 15028.09 hectares in all soil areas of Andhra Pradesh.

The decision was taken due to the extra expenditure incurred by farmers on replantation and filling up the gap in the main field due to the rains of Cyclone “Michaung,” which fell between December 3 and 5, 2023. During this cropping season in Andhra Pradesh, 43125 farmers cultivated FCV tobacco in an area of 97127.07 hectares and produced 205.5 million kg of tobacco.

Center’s decision would benefit the farmers of Andhra Pradesh to recover losses due to storm rains, in view of the zero penalty on the sale of excess flue-cured Virginia tobacco. This observation will greatly help the FCV tobacco farmers to overcome their financial distress due to natural calamities and the cultivators to sustain their livelihood.