PESHAWAR: The support price of tobacco crop fixed for the next marketing season in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is 13 per cent higher than the last year’s price.

In a news release issued here on Tuesday, the Pakistan Tobacco Board said the price increase had been made with the active involvement of the tobacco growers’ representative bodies, including Kissan Board, Kashtkar Coordination Council and other associations.

It said it had formed two committees last year for carrying out a survey with the involvement of the representatives of the growers’ associations to determine the cost of production for the upcoming tobacco crop season in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after which the minimum indicative prices of various tobacco varieties were fixed.

“The COP (cost of production) committee unanimously agreed and approved the COP of Rs139 per kg and Rs153 per kg for plain and sub-mountainous areas (of the province) respectively and Rs87 per kg and Rs110 per kg for White Patta and burley tobacco respectively,” said the release.

The board rejected an impression created by certain leaders of Kissan Board that the growers’ interest had not been taken care of while fixing the cost of production.

The PTB announced that the price of flue cured Virginia (produced in plain areas) would be Rs159 per kg and in case of mountainous regions, Rs175 per kg, while the price of Burley would be Rs126 per kg and that of Dark Air Cured tobacco Rs76 per kg.

According to the board, 324 farmers were interviewed in connection with the survey conducted by it to determine the cost of production and price.

It said the increased price included 12 per cent mark-up, 11 per cent inflation, and three per cent extra profit to the benefit of the growers.