Swabi farmers want tobacco price raised

SWABI: The farmers have asked the government and companies to raise the price of ensuing tobacco produce in proportion to the existing price-hike of pesticides, fertilizers and allied expenses incurred during the crop preparation and its sale.

The demand was made at a grand of Ittehad-e-Kashtkaran, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, here on Monday.

The meeting also elected Arif Ali Khan as provincial president of Ittehad-e-Kashtkaran, Daud Jan senior vice-president, Iqbal Khan vice-president, Asfandyar Khan general secretary, Shahab Khan joint secretary, Fazal Raziq finance secretary and Liaqat Yousafzai press secretary.

The participants said the government should slash input on agriculture as prices of pesticides, fertilizers and other expenses had increased manifold.They said that tobacco price should be fixed at Rs350 per kilogram so the growers could be able to meet the existing price-hike of pesticides, fertilizers and other expenses incurred during the crop preparation and its marketing.

The newly elected office-bearers also urged the government to establish favourable markets at local level for the agriculture produce to benefit the diligent farmers.

They asked the government and tobacco companies to pay the outstanding dues of farmers forthwith.The meeting demanded the government to stop housing societies from construction on agricultural lands in the province.

They asked the companies and government to activate purchasing centres in the tobacco-growing areas so the farmers should not face difficulties while selling their produce. The growers also asked the government to devise a policy to stop the shifting tobacco-related industry to Azad Kashmir and other provinces from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It may be mentioned that tobacco is cultivated in Pakistan and 80 per cent of the total production is produced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Similarly, tobacco products contribute Rs135 billion to the federal exchequer while Rs980 million go to the provincial kitty in the shape of the tobacco development cess.