Guntur: Tobacco crop production target to be decided on Aug 18

Guntur: The 151st general body meeting of the Tobacco Board held at the board office in Guntur city on Wednesday decided to fix the crop size for 2020-21 in Andhra Pradesh at its next meeting to be held on August 18.

Following the request of the State government officials, the board took this decision. The board discussed on the detail requests of the tobacco growers and grower representatives, indents given by the manufacturers and exports through the Indian Tobacco Association, domestic demand and demand in the international market for tobacco.

Speaking to The Hans India, Tobacco Board chairman Yadlapati Raghunath Babu said, "The AP State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited is purchasing tobacco from the farmers in the backdrop of falling of tobacco prices to extend helping hand to the ryots. We have taken the suggestions of the State government officials and we will fix the crop in the meeting to be held on August 18."

Raghunath Babu chaired the meeting. MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Tobacco Board Executive Director R Muthuraj, Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Poonam Malakondaiah, Special Chief Secretary (Marketing) Y Madhusudhan Reddy, Agriculture Marketing Commissioner P S Pradyumna, Official from the Union Ministry of Commerce Neetika Bansal, Tobacco Board secretary A Sridhar Babu and Indian Tobacco Association president Maddi VenkateswaraRao, were among those participated in the meeting.