Govt Allows Sale of Excess, Unauthorized Tobacco in Karnataka without Penalty

Tobacco is a plant (Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica) that contains nicotine, an addictive substance with both stimulant and depressant consequences. Almost every organ in the body is harmed by smoking, including the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, mouth, reproductive organs, bones, bladder, and digestive organs.

M. Lakshman Rao, Regional Manager of Tobacco Board, Mysuru, said in a statement that 40,207 farmers were only able to produce 59.78 million kg of Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco in an area of 60,782 hectares, despite the crop size being set at 100 million kg for the 2022-23 season.

As a result, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has agreed to allow the sale of excess tobacco grown by registered growers as well as unauthorized tobacco grown by unregistered growers, he said. Even registered tobacco growers are limited in the amount of tobacco they can grow per barn. Tobacco grown in excess of the limit set for registered growers is considered excess.

Tobacco grown by farmers who do not have a tobacco cultivation licence is considered illegal. Rao stated that excess and unauthorized tobacco can be sold at the Tobacco Board's auction platforms for normal service charges, and that the penalty has been waived this year.

Javare Gowda, president of the Federation of FCV Tobacco Growers Association of Karnataka, said the government's decision to waive the penalty came late this year, confusing farmers. According to him, the announcement on the purchase of excess and unauthorized tobacco came only after the tobacco farmers staged a protest.

Meanwhile, the poor tobacco production this year has been attributed to continuous rains in June and July of last year, which are critical months for crop growth. According to a Tobacco Board statement, the penalty waiver for excess and unauthorised tobacco will assist FCV tobacco farmers in overcoming financial difficulties.