Upset over Centre’s move to ban sale of loose cigarettes, Andhra and Karnataka tobacco growers on Wednesday met Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and sought that without providing a suitable alternative crop they should not be deprived of their livelihood.
The tobacco farmers said the proposed regulatory amendments like banning sale of loose cigarettes “will only result in shift in consumption” from cigarettes to other cheaper tobacco products like bidis, chewing tobaccos and other ways “without curtailing the overall tobacco consumption”.
India is the second largest tobacco producers in the world.later, Naidu and Andhra tobacco farmers met Health Minister JP Nadda, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh. In the meeting, Nadda was asked not to take any hasty step that could affect the interest of the farmers.
Nadda assured that he will look into all issues pertaining to tobacco and areca nut growers and industry before taking any policy decision.It was stressed that in many parts of the country livelihood of farmers is dependent on these cash crops only and there was a need to provide a suitable alternative cash crop s in tobacco and Arecanut growing areas.