SWABI: The tobacco growers have threatened to hold a series of protest demonstrations in the province against what they call the exploitative tactics of multinational and international companies.

Addressing a farmers’ convention organised by Kashtkar Coordination Council (KCC) here on Thursday, the leaders of the peasants asked the companies to stop exploitation of tobacco growers.

Farmers from various tobacco growing unions councils, elders of the area and local leaders of different political parties participated in the convention. The leaders of tobacco growers from other districts also attended the convention.

Asad Qaisar, the speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, was chief guest on the occasion. According to organisers of the convention, Swabi, Mardan, Buner, Mansehra and Charsadda districts are producing quality tobacco crop.

Through their charter of demands, presented on the occasion, KCC members said that tobacco crop should not remain in the domain of federal government after the passage of 18th Amendment.

Demand withdrawal of health ministry’s decision to carry 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on the cigarette packs

The grower leaders also called for withdrawal of health ministry’s decision to carry 85 per cent pictorial health warnings on the cigarette packs.

They also demanded better prices of tobacco; representation of real growers in Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB); status of E-crop for tobacco; provision of natural gas and safety gadgets; and spending of the tobacco Cess on the welfare of the people of tobacco producing areas.

They alleged that minimum price fixed by PTB was below the cost of production of the crop. The cost of production had increased manifold and if fair price was paid to them it would save them from huge financial losses, they added.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Qaisar said that provincial government supported the demands of the growers. He said that the problems of the farmers would be resolved on priority basis.

He said that the growers should constitute a committee and its members should meet him in Peshawar to discuss their problems and take practical steps.

Provincial Minister Aminullah Gandapur said that he along with Senior Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai and some other leaders had constituted a committee that was striving to give ‘status of crop’ to tobacco. He said that till date the status of crop was not given to tobacco.

“If I failed to resolve the problems of tobacco growers, I would stage a sit-in against my own government along with the farmers,” he pledged.

MPA Barbar Salim said that PTB should monitor buyers purchasing tactics during the purchasing season in all tobacco growing districts of the province.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2015

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