Farmers Fear Ban on Tobacco Growing

Source from:  Tobaccoreporter.com 01/18/2010

Legislation banning leaf tobacco production that was approved last week in the UAE will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of growers farming near the Oman border, according to a story by Anna Zacharias for The National. The legislation bans growing tobacco in the Emirates and threatens violators with fines of up to Dh1 million and one year prison terms. Communities near the Oman border, about 120 km south-east of Dubai, have been centers of tobacco production in the region for centuries. While farmers are expected to be given time to comply with the new law and change crops, growers are worried about their futures because tobacco is such a valuable crop. Enditem