Tobacco companies urged to pay dues to growers

TAKHTBHAI: Provincial chief of the Kissan Board, Rizwanullah, on Monday asked the defaulting tobacco companies to pay outstanding dues to the growers of Mardan and Swabi districts for their produce forthwith.

Talking to reporters here, the farmers’ leader said that some tobacco companies, including Universal Tobacco Company and Indus Tobacco Company, had not yet paid the outstanding dues, which was an injustice with the poor growers.

Kissan Board office-bearers Jawad Khan, Ghafoor Khan, Muhammad Noor, Farhad Ali and others were also present on the occasion. Rizwanullah asked the provincial government, commissioner and deputy commissioner, Mardan, to take notice of the issue and direct the defaulting tobacco companies to pay the hard-earned money to the growers for their produce purchased several months ago.

He threatened that the tobacco growers from Mardan and Swabi districts would stage sit-in outside the defaulting companies if they did not pay dues to the farmers immediately. He said that the farmers were facing a host of problems due to the indifferent attitude of the government.

The farmers’ representatives also demanded the government to restore subsidy on fertilizers, take steps to stop making of fake pesticides and fertilizers, lower prices of pesticides, hike sugarcane price to Rs300 per maund, fix Rs5 flat rate per unit for electricity used for agriculture purposes and provide interest-free loans to farmers.

They also stressed the need for close liaison between the farmers and the officials of the Agriculture Department as it was necessary for prompt resolution of the former’s grievances. It was told that 50 percent fruits were perished in Swat valley every year so fruit processing plants should be installed in the district to protect the owners of orchards from millions of losses.