SWABI: The tobacco growers started harvesting White Patta (WP) tobacco across the district here on Tuesday.

Officials in national and multinational companies said their total requirement announced through the Pakistan Tobacco Board for the current year stood at 140,000 million kilogrammes.

Sources said out of 45 national and multinational companies and small cigarette manufactures only seven companies had announced their WP tobacco quota for the current year.

The farmers said usually the companies failed to buy their announced quota from them. They said as compared with the previous year the demand of the companies for the current year had been reduced by 72 per cent.

They said the growers had to produce the crop keeping in mind the requirements of the companies.

Khalid Khan, district president of Kisan Board (KB), said after harvest most of the growers kept the crop in the open, but some farmers brought it into indoors after four days due to fear of rain as even little shower could devalue its market rate.

MAN KILLS BROTHER: A man killed his step-brother and injured his nephew in Maina village of Maneri Bala union council on Tuesday, police said.

Registering an FIR, injured Zahir Mohammad told police he along with his father, Nizar Mohammad, was irrigating their land, when Raz Mohammad stopped water flow to their fields and diverted it to his own. He said an argument ensued and then Raz opened fire, killing Nizar and injuring him (the complainant). The injured Zahir was taken to Bacha Khan Hospital Complex Shahmansoor and later referred to Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, in serious condition.

Meanwhile, a teenage boy of Swabi city committed suicide on Tuesday, police said.

Ansar Ali, 18, shot and injured himself with a pistol in his house. Hearing the gunshot, his mother and other family members rushed to his room and found him lying in blood. He was taken to the district headquarters hospital, Swabi, where he succumbed to injuries later.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2019