India: Switch To Horticulture, Tobacco Farmers Told

Source from:  Times of India 09/29/2018

Coimbatore: With the government taking efforts to bring down tobacco production and consumption, farmers who grow it as an alternate crop or in between the sowing season, have been told to opt for other crops.

About 500 farmers from Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode attended a seminar on alternate crops conducted by scientists from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and the horticulture department on Friday.
 
Farmers grow tobacco as it is a low-maintenance crop, grows in four months, has good pest and disease resistance, gets a good price and can be stored for almost two years till they get a good price, said head of vegetables at TNAU R Arumugam. “There are many vegetables that fit the bill and can give the farmers the same income. Some of them are tomatoes, chillies, small onion, lady’s finger, tapioca and gourd,” he said.

“These vegetables, like tobacco, can be harvested in four to five months, can be grown in red soil with ph ranging from seven to eight and survive temperatures from 25 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius,” said Arumugam. “The right variety can give them yields of 10ton to 30ton a hectare. These vegetables can also be stored till they get a good price. Off season sowing, which is also when tobacco is cultivated, is a good time for farmers to get good prices and profits.”

Tobacco is cultivated on about 5,478hectare in Tamil Nadu, of which 2,986hectare are in Erode alone. In Coimbatore, it is cultivated across hardly 152hectare. “While a few farmers export their produce, most sell it in the local market. With consumption of the traditional cheroot gone out of vogue, tobacco is used for making beedis and chewable products, all of which pose a health hazard in the form of lung and oral cancer,” said horticulture deputy director Uma. " Reducing tobacco production is one of the methods to fight consumption of the product.”

However, TNAU vice-chancellor K Ramasamy, who was the chief guest at the event, said he was against the idea of Tamil Nadu farmers having to look for an alternate crop. “Tamil Nadu accounts for hardly 2% of the tobacco cultivation in India. Tobacco has historically been cultivated by farmers, because when it is hung above other crops, pests and insects consuming it become drowsy. Thus, it is a natural pest deterrent. Tobacco also has medicinal uses. The government should connect tobacco farmers with drug companies instead of asking them to stop cultivation.”  Enditem