Lok Sabha Question No. 1940 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: Reduction in Tobacco Production
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Kirron  Kher

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1940 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 rd JULY, 2019

## REDUCTION IN TOBACCO PRODUCTION

## 1940. SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वा�ण�य एवं उ�योग मं�ी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of steps taken by the Tobacco Board to reduce tobacco production in compliance with the  Parliamentary  Standing  Committee  on  Science  and  Technology,  Environment  and  Forests recommendations in its 285th report, on 'Effects of Tobacco Curing on Environment & Forest';
- (b) whether any notice/circular has been issued for the same; and
- (c) if so, details thereof and if not, reasons for the same?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF  COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) The Tobacco Board has taken the following steps to reduce  Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco production
- i) The Board had  resolved that there shall  be a gradual phase out of tobacco cultivation. The reduction shall be gradual and uniform in both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka without affecting the farmers' interests.
- ii) Tobacco Board is  not granting registration to new growers and  not issuing any  licenses  for construction  of  new  barns, creating  additional  curing  infrastructure  and  no expanding  FCV tobacco cultivation in new areas and thereby restricting horizontal expansion of tobacco.
- iii) Board has been  advising the bankers and co-operative societies not finance for unauthorised construction of barns/unauthorised cultivation by registered growers.
- iv) To discourage excess and unauthorized production, Government of India, under the Tobacco Board Act,  1975,  permits  sale  of  excess  and  unauthorized  tobacco  on  the  auction  platform subject to levy of penalties.
- v) Tobacco Board is working continuously in collaboration with the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) to provide economically sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing farmers.
- vi) Tobacco Board in co-ordination with State Agricultural Department of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is creating awareness about the scheme of Crop Diversification Programmes (CDP) under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (R.K.V.Y) among the FCV tobacco growers fo r shifting to alternative crops.
- (b) & (c)  Every year, Board lays down the production policy and fixes crop size for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka separately. As per the production policy, Tobacco Board issues a circular to the field staff in both states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka separately on registration of Virginia Tobacco growers and barn operators, soil region wise production quotas to be authorised per licenced barn along with instructions on various steps to be taken to regulate the production to the crop size fixed by the Board and control excess and unauthorised production.

Tobacco  Board  undertakes  various  production  regulation  measures  through,  group  meetings  in  the villages,  mass  contact  programmes,  ,electronic/news  media,  distribution  of  pamphlets,  in  the  major tobacco growing villages to regulate production and to prevent excess/unauthorized production of FCV tobacco.

Tobacco Board also issues a circular to the Field Staff to organize awareness  meetings to promote cultivation of alternative crops to FCV tobacco.

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