Vijayawada: District administrations in Guntur, Prakasam, Bapatla, and Palnadu are facing challenges in enforcing the govt’s ban on black and White Burley tobacco cultivation. The ban was introduced due to poor market demand and oversupply. In response, the agriculture department has formed special committees to promote alternative crops, offering subsidised seeds to encourage the shift.The govt imposed a complete ban on Black Burley tobacco for the current crop season, citing last year’s surplus of nearly 80,000 metric tonnes. White Burley cultivation is permitted only under formal contracts with tobacco companies. However, the absence of effective awareness campaigns has left many farmers uninformed, complicating the transition to other crops. Sources indicate that some multinational firms are informally urging farmers to continue cultivation, promising procurement without offering written guarantees.Last season’s overproduction led to financial distress, with tobacco companies refusing to buy the stock. Farmers staged protests, prompting the government to intervene via Markfed, which procured around 1,000 metric tonnes from Prakasam. Despite this, large volumes remain unsold, leaving farmers in uncertainty.Similarly, White Burley tobacco stocks accumulated significantly, further complicating the situation. The govt’s ban on Black Burley and conditional approval for white burley is aimed at regulating production and preventing further losses.To enforce the ban, the state agriculture department directed the district collectors to constitute special committees at the mandal, division, and district levels, comprising officials from the agriculture, revenue, police, and health departments. These committees are tasked with monitoring compliance, and strict directives have been issued to hold mandal agricultural officers accountable for any unauthorized cultivation.However, field-level awareness remains inadequate, with some farmers preparing to grow white burley tobacco under the impression that they have valid company contracts. “There is a need for farmers to shift to alternative crops such as groundnut, maize, and millets. We are actively working to educate farmers about the restrictions on Burley tobacco and encouraging sustainable crop options,” said a senior official of the agriculture department. He said that the govt will also offer subsidised seeds to move to other crops.
