Rajamahendravaram MP Margani Bharat on Wednesday appealed to the Tobacco Board, Guntur, to set up a purchasing centre at Torredu in East Godavari district to assure remunerative prices for growers apart from minimising costs on transportation.
The annual tobacco production is estimated to be above 2.2 million kilograms being grown by nearly 600 growers in the Torredu region.
However, production had fallen in recent years after the Tobacco Board downed the shutters of its office in Torredu. The tobacco growers on Wednesday met Mr. Bharat during Racha Banda (Grievance cell) held here.
Referring to the interaction with Tobacco Board, Guntur, Executive Director Addanki Sridhar Babu, Mr. Bharat has said, “The Tobacco board has in principle agreed to set up the purchasing centre at Torredu. The board authorities also promised a good price if the farmers prepare to sell their produce at Devarapalli in West Godavari district.”
The growers from the Torredu region are now selling the produce at Devarapalli in West Godavari district, which is nearly 30 km away from their fields, and are complaining of steep transportation costs.
