Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, was pleased with the high prices received by tobacco farmers for their flue-cured Virginia tobacco, as well as the record-high export performance of Indian tobacco for FY 2023-24. He, along with Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy, met with tobacco farmers, manufacturers, and exporters to discuss these achievements.
During the meeting, Goyal mentioned that tobacco farmers had received an average price of Rs. 269.91 per kg for 112.35 million kg of FCV tobacco sold in electronic auctions by the Tobacco Board. Additionally, the export value of un-manufactured tobacco and tobacco products reached a new record high of Rs. 12,005.80 crore.
However, participants highlighted various challenges faced by tobacco farmers, such as labor shortages, lack of assistance for mechanization, high costs of fertilizers, penalties on excess production, and increased fuel costs. They also requested government support for tobacco exporters, including incentives under the RoDTEP scheme and measures to combat unauthorized production and use of chewing tobacco and illicit cigarette sales in India.
In response, Goyal assured the farmers and industry that the government would address their concerns by increasing support, waiving penalties, extending registration validity periods, and promoting digital registration for farmers. He also encouraged farmers to take advantage of interest subvention facilities and education loans for their children. Additionally, he suggested developing mechanization, alternative fertilizers, and improved curing methods for tobacco production.
Kishan Reddy emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and industry to overcome challenges and achieve a better future for the country. He stressed the need for sharing ideas and addressing issues to move towards development by 2047.
