Tobacco growers don’t want pictorial warnings

Ahead of World No Tobacco Day, a federation comprising nine leading Tobacco Farmers Associations of India made a representation appealing the Central government to safeguard their interests against the misleading campaign on tobacco in the country on Saturday.

The federation released a 10 point appeal for the consideration of the government following a rally and a march by the tobacco farmers and workers. The federation also announced “Chalo Delhi” programme to give a representation to the Central government.

Speaking on the occasion, chief advisor to the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CISF) and chairman of the Federation of Farmers Associations P Chengal Reddy felt that the government should protect the interests of the farmers, workers and other stakeholders connected to tobacco industry. He requested the Central government to review the present stand of the government on tobacco.

The Kondepi Tobacco Growers Association president Murali Babu said that tobacco is cultivated in 13 States in the country giving good revenue to the exchequer. He further added that the industry provides direct employment to 4. 57 crore people out of which 57 per cent are farmers, 19 per cent tobacco workers, 9 per cent tribals and 16 per cent petty retailers.

“It provides indirect employment benefit to distributors, traders,” he said. He feared that the government, influenced by some forces, was trying to ban the tobacco production and the related products. This would hit the farmers, workers and the workers in the retail trade of the tobacco products, he added.

The tobacco board member Gadde Seshagiri Rao felt that the regulations imposed by the government on the tobacco trade have led to smuggling of the tobacco products, while hitting the farmers badly. “The pictorial warnings on tobacco products since 2009 had led to its unauthorised sale by 30 per cent,” he concluded.