Rs350/kg rate demanded for tobacco

Tobacco growers on Friday demanded a minimum price of their product to be fixed at Rs350 per kilogramme and rejected the government announced Rs245 per kg rate.

During a convention held in Yar Hussain, Swabi district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Friday under Kisan Board (K-B), a wing of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the growers rejected outright the official rates and said that due to the higher inflation these rates were not affordable.

In a resolution unanimously adopted at the convention, farmers said that the federal government collected annual revenue of Rs130 billion by taxing tobacco and its products and government should allocate at least Rs10 billion for the welfare of farmers and development of the sector in the tobacco growing districts of K-P.

Provincial President of KB, Rizwanullah Khan, said that urea fertilizer was not available in the market at official price while DAP fertilizer was out of reach of farmers due to higher prices, therefore, the prices of phosphorus fertilizers should be reduced and that those who sell it at black market must be arrested and punished accordingly.

He said that payment of millions of rupees was still pending to the farmers by different tobacco companies and Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) should play its role to pay the dues of the farmers before the commencement of tobacco purchase in July.

Abdul Samad Safi, secretary general of KB said that the recent flash floods and storms have severely damaged the crops, especially the tobacco crop and the government and the PTB should immediately conduct a survey of the affected areas and provide adequate compensation to the affected farmers to save them from financial bankruptcy.

Iftikhar Hussain Bacha, JI district amir in his speech said that he had assured the farmers and members of Kisan Board that they will all stand with the farmers in their struggle against the exploitation of the tobacco companies.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2022.