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Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he has considered to allow the sale of the excess flue-cured Virginia tobacco produced by registered growers and unauthorised flue-cured Virginia tobacco produced by unregistered growers without any penalty considering the low production during the 2022-2023 Karnataka crop season, according to a statement from the ministry of commerce and industry.
In Karnataka, during this crop season, 40,207 farmers cultivated flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco in an area of 60,782 hectares. The total production of FCV tobacco in Karnataka remained at 59.78 million kg against the crop size of 100 million kgs fixed by Tobacco Board, due to continuous rains during the months of June and July 2022.
The decision of imposing no penalty on the sale of excess FCV tobacco will greatly benefit the farmers of Karnataka to recover the loss due to less production during this crop season, according to the statement released on Saturday. This consideration will hand hold the FCV tobacco farmers to overcome their financial plight inflicted due to low production and low earning and would greatly help the growers to continue their livelihood.
Virginia tobacco is flue-cured, which means that the leaves are hung in curing barns, where heated air is generated to dry the leaves. As they lose their moisture, they develop their distinct aroma, texture and colour.
Karnataka is among the top tobacco-producing states in the country.