India - govt keen to help tobacco farmers grow alternative crops..

August 28, 2010 - As part of its commitment to discourage use of tobacco, the Government is keen to see that tobacco growers in the country take to alternative farming, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said in Rajya Sabha today.

At the same time, he maintained that the government is taking all measures to protect their interests and has started special welfare schemes for them. He said during Question Hour that a fund has been created to provide subsidies to tobacco growers and loans for education of their children.

News brief on same subject from October 23, 2009..

India is the third largest producer and eighth largest exporter of tobacco and tobacco product in the world.. India is the fourth largest consumer of tobacco in the world.

The Indian government will impose a penalty of 15 per cent on the money earned by growers from the sale of flue-cured tobacco in excess of the quota allotted to them by the Tobacco Board, according to a PTI (Press Trust of India) story.

Indian government tries to rein in tobacco growers with new penalty..

Sharma said there was a provision to impose penalties for excess production but noted it will take time to shift the tobacco growers into alternative farming.

"Those growing tobacco on irrigated lands are being helped to take to alternative crop cultivation. ...it is our international commitment to decrease the use of tobacco," he said.

Tobacco Business in India..

Reference: Tobacco growers should take to alternative farming: Govt, Staff Writer, Press Trust of India (PTI), 8/25/2010.

India - some news briefs:
^*Mumba, India - tobacco companies not following the law when advertizing..;
^*PAPER: India community based study - why youth smoke..;
^*India - high court rules in favor of tobacco companies that violated cigarettes with pictorial warnings rule..;
^*India - study emphasizes the need to integrate tobacco control in medical curriculum..;
^*India - more on govt ban on foreign direct investment..;
^*India - Barakat Food will import and distribute Imperial's Davidoff Cigarettes..;
^*India - more on ban on foreign direct investment - more insight on tobacco market..;
^*India - increasing taxes on cigarettes and bidis to save lives..;
^*India - cabinet decided to bar foreign direct investment in cigarette manufacturing..;
^*India - captions with pictorial warnings should use local languages..;
^*ndia - pictorial warning will appear on every tobacco pack sold from June 1 , 2010..;
^*India - government set to ban foreign direct investment in tobacco..;
^*India - despite tobacco control measure in place - tobacco sales increase..;
^*India - still confusion pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
^*Mumbai, India - NGO activists want closure of hookah bars..;
^*India - gutkha and bidi companies NOT pictorial warnings..;
^*India - cigarette packs with pictorial warnings are here..; ^*ndia - NO graphic pictorial warnings yet..;
^*India - Still no pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
^*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products effective May 31, 2009..;
^*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products will be implemented from May 31 - no doubts about it..;
^*India - will pictorial or graphic health warnings be implemented from May 30, 2009..;
^*India - placing pictorial warnings on tobacco products delayed again..