A grower carries tobacco crop on his bullock-cart to the purchasing centre of a multinational company in Swabi. — Dawn

SWABI: With the Flue-Cured Virginia buying exercise likely to end this month, majority of growers in the district are distraught over the rejection of a huge stock of tobacco for being of inferior quality.

According to leaf managers, companies needed around 65.275 million kilogrammes of FCV in the current year.

Major chunk of FCV crop has been purchased by the two multinational companies, Pakistan Tobacco Company and Philip Morris International.

“Some national companies have already procured the sought-after FCV, while others will finish the tobacco purchasing exercise in the next two weeks,” a manager said.

Purchase of Flue-Cured Virginia by companies likely to end this month

He said in the current year, only few small cigarette manufactures had purchased FCV as they already had enough stocks.

The manager said FCV gradually got more mature and if a company kept it in store for five years or more, it became more suitable for the making of cigarettes.

“With the passage of time, softness and flavour of FCV gets more attractive for smokers,” he said.

Another company representative said small tobacco companies had failed to export FCV.

“It’s difficult for cigarette manufactures to compete in the international market. What they need is to improve quality,” he said.

He said companies were bound to buy tobacco in line with the quota announced by the Pakistan Tobacco Board.

A leaf manger said tobacco companies would fulfil their commitments but won’t tobacco, which was either of inferior quality or surplus.

Rejection of a huge stock of tobacco for being of inferior quality has agitated growers.

Laiq Khan of Gohati said FCV lost value after rejection by companies over inferior quality.

Mohammad Sardar of Maneri Bala area said he was approached by some companies, which promised high price due to the good quality of FCV crop.

“If farmers have low-quality FCV, companies reject it,” he said.

Farmers and representatives of tobacco companies said the purchase of white patta (WP) tobacco had already been completed.

They said the demand for WP tobacco, used in naswar (snuff), in the current year was 1.225 million kilogrammes.

Meanwhile, the district government has ordered tobacco companies to buy all varieties of FCV from growers at reasonable rate.

The order was issued by a senior district government representative during a meeting with growers here.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2015

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