India: Don''t Insist on Reducing Tobacco Cultivation: Association to Govt.

Source from:  The Hindu 01/26/2016

The Federation of Karnataka Virginia Tobacco Growers' Association has said that there was no alternative crop to tobacco.

The association also appealed to the State government not to insist on reducing tobacco cultivation forcing them to switch over to other crop such as cotton, maize and ragi. The association said that tobacco growers had tried all the alternative crop suggested by the government and failed to get back even the cost of cultivation.

Association secretary Vikram Raj Urs said that Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) and University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Benglauru, had vouched the opinion of the association and declared that there was no alternative crop for tobacco. He claimed that even agriculture officials and agriculture scientists, after field tests, had reportedly stated that there was no viable alternative crop to tobacco.

Even at the national seminar on Crop Diversification held at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh on January 18, most of the agricultural scientists and experts felt that only tobacco could give on par returns to farmers, Mr. Urs said. The seminar was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture. "The speakers also pointed out that of the one lakh farmers who ended their lives last year, only three to four were tobacco growers. This proved that tobacco growers were getting a marginal income to lead a contented life … A team of tobacco growers had attended the conference and took active part in the deliberations," he said. The association was ready to take up different alternative crop provided they were tested in the tobacco growing regions for commercial viability, long term consistency and market assurance , he said. A.J. Kalegowda, vice-president of the association and R.V. Vishwanath, treasurer of the association, discounted allegations that tobacco curing was causing forest degradation in the State. They said that tobacco was a major commercial crop grown in 75,000 hectares in Mysuru producing 80 million kg of tobacco. It was grown in rain fed conditions and in low fertile soils where other crop cultivation is proved to be economically unviable, they said. Tobacco growers in Mysuru region have adopted contemporary curing techniques and energy conservation practices like venturi furnaces and barn insulations, they said and added that these practices reduced overall fuel requirements by over 30 per cent.

They also pointed out that over 70 per cent of fuel requirement is met through agricultural wastes like coffee husk, maize cobs, coconut fronds and shells and the remaining 30 per cent is sourced through commercial plantations from farmers and government depots, they said. Enditem