India: Tobacco Farmers to Put Centre on Notice

Source from:  The Hindu 06/01/2015

A day before the World No Tobacco Day, tobacco farmers of Andhra Pradesh took to the streets to draw attention to their plight.

Tobacco farmers took out a rally from Swaraj Maidan, along the main streets of the city, to appeal for protection against the "biased propaganda misleading Indian policy makers." Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) chief advisor P. Chengal Reddy said the tobacco farmers would hold a march in Delhi to put the "Centre on notice."

There was a 20 per cent to 30 per cent drop in tobacco prices in just three years, but there has been 30 per cent increase in production costReduce menace of tobacco consumption: PM Modi. "Soon the tobacco farmers will have no other alternative than committing suicide," he said.

Farmers from 12 tobacco growing States would take part in 'Delhi Chalo' programme for which the date would be announced later. "Heavy excise duty is killing export of Indian tobacco. It is not able to compete with duty-free African tobacco. The government earns of Rs. 44,000 crore from tobacco. Why should not it ensure good profits for the farmers ? , Mr Chengal Reddy said. Enditem