BJP Seeks Centre’s Support to FCV Tobacco Farmers in AP
These farmers are supporting the government with substantial revenue inputs every year
Vijayawada: BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav, has urged the Central government to help the FCV tobacco farmers in AP facing a decline in price and slow pace of procurement.
In a letter to the Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, Madhav urged him to help stabilise FCV tobacco marketing and save the tobacco growers from a crisis situation.
FCV tobacco, he said, is one of the important commercial crops in AP providing livelihood to nearly one lakh families, generating substantial rural employment and contributing to foreign exchange earnings through exports. These farmers are supporting the government with substantial revenue inputs every year.
Though the tobacco board had authorised a crop size of 142 million kg, the actual production was estimated at nearly 232 million kg, which meant a substantial surplus production. After completion of 88 auctions, about 33 million kg of tobacco, or 15% of the total production, was marketed through tobacco board platforms while 85 per cent of the crop remained with the farmers.
He observed that the average auction price declined to 217.65 per kg. It was `45.80 per kg lower than the price realised in the last season. The slow pace of procurement and decline in price caused severe hardships to the farmers.
Madhav noted that though the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation and stressed that the price should not fall below `200 per kg, the prevailing market situation required central intervention beyond the existing regulatory framework.
The BJP chief urged the central government to improve market liquidity, encourage enhanced procurement by domestic buyers and exporters, facilitate larger export opportunities and extend necessary support to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers.