Lok Sabha Question No. 548 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-03
Subject: Farmers Engaged in Tobacco Cultivation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 548

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD  FEBRUARY, 2026

## FARMERS ENGAGED IN TOBACCO CULTIVATION

## 548. SHRI TANGELLA UDAY SRINIVAS:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

(a) the number of farmers engaged in tobacco cultivation across the country, along with the total  area  under  cultivation  and  production  during  the  last  five  years,  disaggregated  by tobacco type such as FCV, Burley, Chewing and others, State and year-wise; (b)  the  initiatives  undertaken  by  the  Government  during  the  last  five  years  to  promote quality  improvement,  value  addition  and  export  competitiveness  in  tobacco,  along  with measurable outcomes; (c) the  number of tobacco farmers who have shifted to alternative crops under Central or State  schemes  and  whether  any  data  is  available  on  changes  in  income  levels  and sustainability of such transitions, State-wise; (d)  the  targets  set  and  achieved  for  reduction  of  tobacco  acreage  and  promotion  of sustainable farming practices; and (e) the funds allocated, released and utilised for crop diversification, capacity building and market linkages related to tobacco farmers during the last five years, State-wise?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a): During the agricultural year 2024-25, the total area under tobacco cultivation in the country was estimated at 491.37 thousand hectares, with an overall production of 1,036.91 thousand tonnes. The details of State-wise area and production of tobacco during the last five years is at Annexure I.

- (b): ICAR-National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture (NIRCA), Rajahmundry  is  actively  disseminating  technologies  and  good  agricultural  practices  to farmers and is involved in the development of high yielding varieties, reduction of harmful substances in the tobacco through genome editing tools, good quality leaf within the Global

Reference  laboratories  (GRLs)  for  meeting  export  demand  and  supply  of  the  high  purity seed to the farmers through NIRCA seed portal.

(c) to (e): The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing  Crop  Diversification  Programme  (CDP)  under  Pradhan  Mantri  -  Rashtriya Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PM-RKVY)  in  10  tobacco  growing  states  namely  Andhra  Pradesh, Bihar,  Gujarat,  Karnataka,  Maharashtra,  Odisha,  Tamil  Nadu,  Telangana,  Uttar  Pradesh and West Bengal to encourage farmers to shift to alternative crops/cropping system since 2015-16.  Under  CDP,  the  tobacco  growing  states  have  been  given  the  flexibility  to  take suitable  activities  /  interventions  to  shift  from  tobacco  crops  to  alternative  agricultural  / horticultural  crops,  as  per  the  cost  norms  approved  under  any  centrally  sponsored schemes/state schemes. The funds allocated, released and utilised for the tobacco growing states  namely  Andhra  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Gujarat,  Karnataka,  Maharashtra,  Odisha,  Tamil Nadu,  Telangana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  West  Bengal  under  CDP  (Tobacco  Replacement) during the last five years is given at Annexure II.

## State-wise Area and Production of Tobacco during the last 5 years

| State          | Area (in thousand hectares)   | Area (in thousand hectares)   | Area (in thousand hectares)   | Area (in thousand hectares)   | Area (in thousand hectares)   | Production (in thousand tonnes)   | Production (in thousand tonnes)   | Production (in thousand tonnes)   | Production (in thousand tonnes)   | Production (in thousand tonnes)   |
|----------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| State          | 2020-21                       | 2021-22                       | 2022-23                       | 2023-24                       | 2024-25                       | 2020-21                           | 2021-22                           | 2022-23                           | 2023-24                           | 2024-25                           |
| Andhra Pradesh | 61.00                         | 57.00                         | 58.00                         | 84.00                         | 139.00                        | 145.55                            | 132.30                            | 118.09                            | 200.17                            | 313.31                            |
| Bihar          | 10.33                         | 10.28                         | 10.32                         | 10.67                         | 6.74                          | 18.12                             | 18.09                             | 18.14                             | 18.73                             | 11.98                             |
| Gujarat        | 170.45                        | 191.64                        | 192.85                        | 189.40                        | 204.79                        | 396.19                            | 452.08                            | 447.22                            | 420.09                            | 468.97                            |
| Karnataka      | 71.00                         | 80.00                         | 76.00                         | 77.00                         | 79.00                         | 58.86                             | 63.44                             | 56.54                             | 56.06                             | 36.97                             |
| Maharashtra    | 0.59                          | 0.53                          | 0.50                          | 0.69                          | 0.82                          | 1.19                              | 0.80                              | 0.82                              | 0.79                              | 2.13                              |
| Odisha         | 0.07                          | 0.05                          | 0.02                          | 0.02                          | 0.02                          | 0.05                              | 0.03                              | 0.02                              | 0.02                              | 0.02                              |
| Tamil Nadu     | 1.77                          | 1.54                          | 2.10                          | 2.12                          | 2.59                          | 2.70                              | 2.35                              | 3.20                              | 3.23                              | 3.95                              |
| Telangana      | 1.00                          | 3.00                          | 3.00                          | 5.00                          | 11.81                         | 1.85                              | 6.65                              | 8.55                              | 12.86                             | 32.26                             |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 25.00                         | 28.00                         | 23.00                         | 28.00                         | 33.29                         | 109.03                            | 123.03                            | 93.43                             | 128.24                            | 140.48                            |
| West Bengal    | 14.41                         | 12.56                         | 12.32                         | 12.29                         | 12.30                         | 19.74                             | 17.46                             | 22.73                             | 24.24                             | 25.83                             |
| Others         | 1.54                          | 1.48                          | 1.23                          | 1.16                          | 1.01                          | 1.97                              | 1.32                              | 1.12                              | 1.14                              | 1.01                              |
| All India      | 357.16                        | 386.08                        | 379.34                        | 410.35                        | 491.37                        | 755.25                            | 817.55                            | 769.86                            | 865.57                            | 1036.91                           |

## Annexure I

*****

Annexure II

Statement  Showing  state-wise  Allocation,  Release  and  Utilization  under  RKVY  for  the  sub-scheme  namely  CDP  (Tobacco

Replacement) during 2020-21 to 2024-25 as on 29.01.2026

(Rs. In crore)

| S. No   | Name of the State   | 2020-21      | 2020-21   | 2020-21       | 2021-2022    | 2021-2022   | 2021-2022     | 2022-23*     | 2023-24      | 2023-24   | 2023-24       | 2024-25      | 2024-25   | 2024-25       |
|---------|---------------------|--------------|-----------|---------------|--------------|-------------|---------------|--------------|--------------|-----------|---------------|--------------|-----------|---------------|
| S. No   | Name of the State   | Alloca- tion | Relea se  | Utiliza- tion | Alloca- tion | Release     | Utiliza- tion | Alloca- tion | Alloca- tion | Releas e  | Utiliza- tion | Alloca- tion | Release   | Utiliza -tion |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh      | 3.19         | 1.21      | 0.00          | 3.19         | 0.00        |               | 3.19         | 3.45         | 0.00      |               | 3.45         |           |               |
| 2       | Bihar               | 0.27         | 0.00      | 0.00          | 0.27         | 0.00        |               | 0.27         | 0.00         | 0.00      |               | 0.00         |           |               |
| 3       | Gujarat             | 3.02         | 3.01      | 3.01          | 3.02         | 1.51        |               | 3.02         | 3.02         | 0.00      |               | 3.02         | 1.50      |               |
| 4       | Karnataka           | 2.40         | 0.00      | 0.00          | 2.40         | 1.20        | 0.97          | 2.40         | 2.44         | 2.44      | 1.11          | 2.44         | 2.44      |               |
| 5       | Maharashtra         | 0.00         | 0.00      | 0.00          | 0.00         | 0.00        |               | 0.00         | 0.00         | 0.00      |               | 0.00         |           |               |
| 6       | Odisha              | 0.04         | 0.00      | 0.00          | 0.04         | 0.00        |               | 0.04         | 0.00         | 0.00      |               | 0.00         |           |               |
| 7       | Tamil Nadu          | 0.08         | 0.08      | 0.08          | 0.08         | 0.04        | 0.04          | 0.08         | 0.08         | 0.08      | 0.08          | 0.08         | 0.08      |               |
| 8       | Telangana           | 0.16         | 0.00      | 0.00          | 0.16         | 0.00        |               | 0.16         | 0.14         | 0.00      |               | 0.15         | 0.07      |               |
| 9       | Uttar Pradesh       | 0.57         | 0.57      | 0.57          | 0.57         | 0.28        | 0.28          | 0.57         | 2.13         | 1.50      | 1.50          | 2.13         | 2.13      | 1.82          |
| 10      | West Bengal         | 0.28         | 0.00      | 0.00          | 0.28         | 0.14        | 0.14          | 0.28         | 0.28         | 0.28      | 0.28          | 0.28         |           |               |
|         | Total               | 10.01        | 4.87      | 3.66          | 10.00        | 3.17        | 1.43          | 10.00        | 11.54        | 4.30      | 2.97          | 11.55        | 6.22      | 1.82          |

*No release made during 2022-23