Guntur: To expedite the procurement of Black Burley tobacco, the state government announced the establishment of additional procurement centres in key tobacco-growing districts. Agriculture minister K Atchannaidu confirmed that special permissions have been granted to district collectors to facilitate this process, with a strong emphasis on prioritising small and marginal farmers.
The announcement came on Monday during a review meeting held at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Lam, Guntur district. MLAs from tobacco-growing constituencies, energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, special chief secretary of agriculture B Rajaskehar, other senior government officials, and farmers took part. Atchannaidu said that for the 2024-25 crop year Black Burley tobacco was cultivated across 36,000 hectares. So far, 22 tobacco companies and AP Marfed have procured 36 million kg, accounting for 45 per cent of the total production. To accelerate the remaining procurement, new centres will be authorised in Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, and Prakasam districts. District collectors will have full administrative flexibility in this regard. The Minister reassured farmers facing full warehouses in rural areas, stating that the government would bear all transportation costs and arrange storage in new, nearby godowns.
Referring to the key procurement details, the minister said that under the new procurement system, produce up to 20 quintals per small and marginal farmer will be procured on priority basis, provided quality standards are met. He recalled that under the existing procurement system the weekly schedule under the old procurement system will continue until Saturday. He said that larger farmers who bring more than 20 quintals of produce, separate schedules will be issued to ensure timely procurement. The minister also indicated that State and Central Warehousing Corporations would be involved in procurement and storage operations if necessary.
