SWABI: Tobacco growers have expressed concern over the reduction in purchasing quota by the multinational companies.

It is to mention here that tobacco cultivation has begun in the district, and purchasing season will start in June and end in September.

The growers said during the current year the total demand of all varieties of tobacco was 47.1705 million kilogrammes compared to 54.03 million kilogrammes last year. They said that the companies had slashed their quota by 6.8595 million kilogrammes for the current year which was a cause of concern for them.

The growers said total 44 companies had announced their quota for the current year, but there were a number of other small companies and cigarette manufactures, which purchased the crop from them without any hindrance.

Shah Jehan, a grower from Maneri region, told Dawn that the companies had purchased much more than their announced quota. `It is responsibility of the tobacco board to monitor illegal purchasing activities,` he demanded.

Safdar Khan, another grower, said if the government wanted to protect the future of tobacco crop it musthelp the farmers instead of only focusing on collecting taxes from them.

Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) officials said the farmers were advised to strike agreements with the tobacco companies on their own choice and plan production of the crop according to the demand made by the companies.

They warned that curbing illicit purchase of tobacco the PTBreserved the right for tal(ing appropriate legal action against any violation of law during market of tobacco.

Both companies and PTB officials have made it clear to the farmers that they should not produce the nonrecommended varieties (NRVs).

`As we are no longer bound to buy NRVs from the growers, we have informed them well in advance, said an official of a multinational company.