India - Tobacco Board warns farmers against planting unauthorized crop..

December 1, 2010 - The Tobacco Board chairman has warned farmers against planting unauthorised crop. He said the farmers would not be allowed to bring unauthorised produce to auction centres. Speaking to Business Standard, G Kamalavardhana Rao said the board had allowed planting of 175 million kg tobacco for the next season. Though the board permitted over 170 million kg for the just-concluded season, the farmers planted over 230 million kg.

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

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Stating that the board would not allow unauthorised product in any auction centre, he said, “If a farmer grows more than what he is authorised to do, his product will be banned from the auction centre. Similarly, if any farmer grows tobacco without authorisation, the product will not be allowed into the auction centre,” he said. Field Friends would make this point clear to the farmers in the next couple of weeks and ensure that no unauthorised tobacco was grown anywhere, he added.

Reference: Tobacco Board chief warns against illegal farming, D Gopi / Guntur, Business Standard, 12/1/2010.