Minister directs officials to address tobacco growers’ issues

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Education Shahram Khan Tarakai on Saturday directed the quarters concerned to immediately resolve the problems being faced by the tobacco growers.

He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of tobacco growers at his residence in Swabi district. The members of delegation informed the minister about purchase of the tobacco crops lying in the godowns.

Shahram said that tobacco growers could not be left at the mercy of cigarette-manufacturing companies.

He said steps should be taken on an emergency basis for purchase of tobacco and the crops that were being dumped in the godowns must be purchased. He stressed to fix Rs260 per kilogram price of tobacco so that the tobacco growers could profit from it. He highlighted the need for stopping exploitation of tobacco farmers and said that they should be given judicious payments of their crops.