India: Karnataka Tobacco Crop down 10% This Year

Source from:  The Hindu Business Line  08/22/2013

Karnataka tobacco crop area this season (2013-14) is around one lakh hectares mainly in the districts of Mysore, Chamarajanagar and Hassan. The crop cultivation in the State is lower by around 10 per cent compared with last year.

"This year's crop looks good at a few places in Hunsur, Periyapatna, compared to last year. However, areas close to forest and rivers have been damaged due to excess rains," B.N. Jayaram, a tobacco farmer from Hunsur and Tobacco Board member told Business Line.

"At present 40-45 per cent of the crop is under curing stage and the balance is on the field," he added.

For crop year 2013-14, the Board has fixed 102 million kg (mkg) for Karnataka. Last year (2012-13), the crop was fixed at 98 mkg and the Board was able to market 93.86 mkg.

Karnataka tobacco auctions are to commence from August 30. The Tobacco Board, like last year, is to continue the e-auction method in all the 12 platforms.

During the crop year 2012-13, Karnataka tobacco was marketed at an average price of around Rs 115.82 a kg. Bright grades fetched Rs 144 and quantity marketed was 20.79 mkg. Medium Grade fetched Rs 127.72 and 44.66 mkg was sold while Low grades fetched Rs 76.50 for 28.41 mkg.

Jayaram said that farmers in the State got good remunerative price for their produce as e-auction brought high level of transparency and farmers were able to take quick decisions with the help of online display of auction proceedings.

Speaking at the Tobacco Institute of India (TII) awards recently, A.H. Vishwanath, Member of Parliament (MP) representing Mysore, said that the farmers need not fear of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

"As per the FCTC, to which India is a signatory, tobacco availability had to be reduced by 2020, not stopped completely," he added.

He also said that Governments in States where tobacco was prominently grown must take steps to address growers' problems and should not bank only on the Centre for solutions. Enditem