MYSORE: The crop size for tobacco in the State has been fixed at 84 million kg for 2006-07 by the Tobacco Board, marking a new high in the crop size for the Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) variety, which is in high demand in the international market.

Javare Gowda, member, Tobacco Board, told The Hindu that at its recent meeting with the Indian Tobacco Association, comprising traders and cigarette companies,the board had decided to fix the crop size for the year at 84 million kg and allow for 10 per cent as "nature's bounty."

The total crop size for tobacco this year was 93.4 million kg, said Mr. Gowda, who is also president of the Karnataka FCV Tobacco Growers' Association.

Ceiling

Although the ceiling on the tobacco crop had been raised almost 10 per cent compared to last year's 76 million kg (83.7 million kg including nature's bounty), the crop size had fallen short of the demand placed before the board by the Indian Tobacco Association and the Karnataka FCV Tobacco Growers' Association, Mr. Gowda said.

While the Indian Tobacco Association urged the board to fix the crop size at 105 million kg, the farmers' association sought a crop size of 100 million kg.

"There is a huge international demand for tobacco grown in the region. This is not only because of its superior quality and low nicotine and tar content, but also owing to the substantial slump in production in other parts of the world on account of withdrawal of subsidy to tobacco growers," Mr. Gowda said. The failure of Indian Tobacco Association representatives to offer a guarantee on lifting 105 million kg of tobacco as sought by them had forced the board to fix the crop size at 84 million kg.

The board was apprehensive about traders and cigarette-manufacturing companies manipulating the price during auctions and giving the farmers a raw deal. Hence the crop was fixed at a size lower than that demanded by the Indian Tobacco Association, he said.

During 2005-06, 82 million kg of tobacco was sold at Rs. 395 crore, and farmers received an average of Rs. 48.06 a kg. In 2004-05, 92 million kg of tobacco was sold at a record Rs. 430 crore. "Though the turnover was higher during 2004-05, farmers received a better price during 2005-06," Mr. Gowda said.

Competitive price

He hoped that the price of tobacco would remain competitive during 2006-07 on account of the worldwide demand for FCV tobacco grown in the light soil found in many parts of Mysore district, particularly in Periyapatna, Hunsur and K.R. Nagar taluks.

Mr. Gowda attributed the increase in demand for the Mysore brand of tobacco to the strict rules imposed by the World Health Organisation on the withdrawal of subsidy to farmers in many tobacco-growing countries such as the U.S., Zimbabwe and Brazil.

Although China led the world in tobacco cultivation by producing 1,800 million kg, much of it was consumed domestically, he said. More than 50,000 farmers in Karnataka, particularly in Mysore district, grew tobacco on an estimated 1.7 lakh acres of land, he added.

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