Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture K. Venkatesh has urged the Centre to spend a portion of the taxes collected from sale of tobacco to support tobacco farmers.
Speaking at the 25th Tobacco Institute of India (TII) Tobacco Farmers’ Awards in Mysuru on Tuesday, Mr. Venkatesh said the Centre earns more than ₹13,000 crore in tax from the sale of tobacco in Karnataka and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, asking how much of it does the Centre spend on the farmers.
Mr. Venkatesh said the tobacco farmers who had contributed so much tax to the government, deserved support from the Centre.
He urged the Tobacco Board to come up with programmes for the welfare of the tobacco farmers.
Mr. Venkatesh pointed out that Periyapatna accounted for half of the tobacco cultivated in the State, while the remaining half came from other taluks including Hunsur, H.D. Kote, and K.R. Nagar in Mysuru district.
He cautioned the tobacco farmers against cultivating the second tobacco crop in the same season. When the farmers realise that the tobacco crop will fall short of the ceiling fixed by the Tobacco Board, many farmers resort to taking up planting again. He warned the farmers against such a practice.
Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar emphasised the need to reduce high cost of tobacco production through adoption of modern technology.
Published – June 03, 2025 07:37 pm IST
