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Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) baccy farmers successful Andhra Pradesh person voiced interest implicit the dilatory gait of procurement during the ongoing auction season. They kick that the purchases and prices are importantly little than past year.
The contented was discussed astatine a stakeholders' gathering convened by the Tobacco Board successful Guntur connected Monday, wherever the officials urged farmers and traders to enactment much actively successful the auction process.
FCV baccy procurement successful Andhra Pradesh began connected March 25, 2026, successful the archetypal signifier and was expanded connected April 9 nether the 2nd phase. Auctions are presently being conducted crossed each 16 auction platforms successful the State. However, procurement has remained sluggish adjacent arsenic farmers proceed to bring nutrient to the market.
According to the Tobacco Board’s estimates, Andhra Pradesh produced astir 232 cardinal kg of FCV baccy during the 2025-26 cropping play against the authorised harvest size of 142 cardinal kg.
Despite the immense output, lone 13.5 cardinal kg of nutrient has been procured done the auction platforms truthful far, erstwhile compared with much than 50 cardinal kg during the corresponding play past year.
Farmers are besides disquieted astir the declining prices. The mean auction terms this play stands astatine ₹233 per kg, down from ₹259 per kg past year. The highest bids person besides fallen sharply. During the erstwhile season, the highest terms touched ₹456 per kg successful the Rajahmundry portion and ₹367 per kg successful the Prakasam-Nellore region.
In the existent season, the highest bids recorded truthful acold are ₹266 per kg successful Rajahmundry and ₹252 per kg successful the Prakasam-Nellore region.
Speaking to The Hindu, Tobacco Board Chairman Yashwanth Kumar Chidipothu said the Board had fixed play procurement targets for traders and advised farmers to bring decently graded baccy to auction platforms.
He said farmers should bring bright, mean and low-grade baccy separately to unafraid amended prices. He noted that traders were reluctant to acquisition low-grade produce, and the substance was discussed extensively during the meeting.
Auctions successful Karnataka, which were expected to reason betwixt October and February, had been extended owed to mediocre prices and were apt to beryllium completed this week, helium said.
Tobacco Board Executive Director Vishwasree B. said 3 cardinal decisions were discussed astatine the meeting— mounting play procurement targets for traders, encouraging farmers to bring prime nutrient for auction, and convening a Board gathering adjacent period to find the harvest size for the upcoming cultivation season.
She expressed assurance that baccy income would amended successful the coming weeks, saying that home cigaret manufacturers had been urged to summation procurement amid fluctuations successful planetary markets.
Meanwhile, husbandman person and erstwhile Tobacco Board Vice-Chairman Boddapati Brahmaiah said the growers had nary objection to bringing their nutrient to auction platforms, provided traders were consenting to acquisition it astatine remunerative prices.
