Price crash pushes tobacco growers to indefinite protest

Mysuru: Amid a crash in tobacco prices, growers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangha have announced an indefinite protest from Monday in front of the Tobacco Board office in Ramanathapura, Hassan district, urging the state and Union govts to procure the harvested tobacco to enable them to switch to alternative crops.The farmers have demanded Rs 25 lakh as compensation to repay loans availed for tobacco cultivation and for the construction of related infrastructure.According to the growers, around 25 companies participated in the tobacco auction last year, fetching good prices for farmers. However, this year only six to seven companies are participating, and the highest price offered is just Rs 230 per kilogram for high-quality tobacco.SV Yoganna, a farmers' leader from Arakalgud, said several varieties of tobacco have no takers at all in the market. "The World Health Organization wants the Union govt to ban tobacco cultivation due to its adverse impact on health and the environment. We are ready to switch to new crops with immediate effect. Our demand is procurement of this year's harvest and compensation of Rs 25 lakh to repay loans taken for tobacco-related infrastructure," he said."From Monday onwards, we will hold an indefinite protest seeking a response from the state and central governments," Yoganna added."We were given loans and other facilities citing good prices for tobacco. This year, growers are struggling due to the price crash," he said.According to the growers, when the auction began in October, the rate for high-grade tobacco stood at Rs 320 per kilogram, but has since fallen by around Rs 100. As the crop is grown using loans from banks and other sources, the unexpected crash has dealt a severe blow to the farming community, growers from Mysuru and Hassan districts said.