Tobacco growers in Swabi have criticized the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) for failing to arrange purchases of surplus tobacco, more than a month after the regular buying season ended, leaving farmers struggling to sell their crops at fair prices.
Multinational and national tobacco companies said purchasing stopped on September 15 after firms completed their annual buying quotas announced by the PTB. They said the board and the Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Research were responsible for developing a strategy to ensure companies purchased surplus tobacco in accordance with the rules.
Tobacco Prices Fall After Regular Buying Season
Members of the Kashtkar Ittehad Association said surplus tobacco was being purchased at Rs. 545 per kilogram, compared with more than Rs. 700 per kilogram during the regular buying season. They said the lower prices were allowing companies and traders to earn millions of rupees at the expense of farmers.
Iqbal Khan Shewa, the association’s patron in chief, told Dawn that companies and traders were exploiting tobacco growers because of their weak financial position.Small cigarette manufacturers and other businesses were taking advantage of the uncertain market by buying tobacco at low prices.
Growers lack adequate storage facilities and financial resources, forcing them to sell their crops at heavily discounted prices.
Imran Khan, a tobacco grower from the Maneri Bala region, told Dawn that company officials and tobacco traders knew farmers lacked the resources and facilities needed to store their produce, leaving them vulnerable to low offers.
PTB Promises to Start Buying Surplus Crop
Growers criticized the PTB for failing to develop a purchasing strategy and alleged that its officials consistently favored tobacco companies over growers. They said national and multinational companies were delaying purchases or showing little interest in buying the surplus crop.
PTB Secretary Fakhruddin told a national daily that the board would soon begin purchasing surplus tobacco from the growers.
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