Tobacco farmers were awarded the function of the TII Farmers’ Award, which took place on Tuesday in Mysur. The Minister for Breeding Animals and Series K. Venkatesh and MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishhnadatt Chamaraja Wadiyar was present. | Photo Credit: Ma Sriram
The export of tobacco and tobacco products achieved more than 16,000 GBP in 2024-25 in 2024-25, said Sharad Tandan, director of the tobacco institute (TII) on Tuesday.
Mr. Tandan said there was a huge potential for growth in Indian exports of tobacco, and called on the government to provide export incentives similar to other tobacco balance.
“This will improve the price competitiveness of Indian tobacco on the global market and help us use the export potential, in favor of domestic farmers,” he said.
Mr. Tandan, who pointed to the socio-economic benefits of the tobacco sector, which provides a living of 4.6 people in India, India, which was the third largest producer of Flue cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco in China and Brazil in China and Brazil in China and Brazil after China and Brazil after China Brazil has exported more than 100 countries in China and Brazil.
The “extremely high” taxation of cigarettes in the country managed an illegal cigarette trade, he said.
“Illegal cigarettes represent a third of the volume of cigarettes in the country, which means that every fourth cigarette sold in the country is not legal,” he said.
“As a result, India is the fourth largest illegal cigarette market around the world and results in an annual loss of revenue of 21,000 GBP for the government,” said Mr. Tandan.
He said that whenever taxes were raised, the share of unlawful cigarette trade increased and that smuggled cigarettes did not use home tobacco, leading to a decline in demand.
Mr. Tandan raised concerns about the probability of the Framework Conference of the upcoming World Health Organization (WHO) Conference on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Parties (COP) 11, which will take place in Geneva in November 2025, which proposes “inadequate and impractical” measures.
“The previous FCTC recommendations, such as excessively high cigarette taxation and large (85%) pictorial health, has led to serious consequences for the legal cigarette industry in the country and a community for tobacco farms,” Tandan said.
On this occasion, ten Karnataka farmers were honored for proving the benefits of modern agricultural procedures.
The TII Tobacco Farmers’ Award, founded in 1999, is trying to encourage the agricultural community to accept modern, sustainable and innovative agricultural procedures that would help improve yields, crop diversity and make Indian tobacco competitively in the global market.
The recipients included Vikram Raj Urs in the category of lifelong success; Javare Gowda, km Raju, Halamma and km Mallesh in the category Best Farmers’; Kemparaju C. and Krishne Gowda KC in the Sustainability category; and Chandre Gowda C., Kamalamma and Chandappa in the category of recognition prices.
Minister for animal breeding and series K. Venkatesh, MP Yaduveer Krishhnadatt Chamaraja Wadiyar, chairman of the tobacco council Yashwanth Kumar Chidipoth, director (auction) BC Srinivas and Present Presen.
Published – 3 June 2025 17:18
