SWABI: Growers have demanded of the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to ensure that both the national and multinational companies purchased tobacco quotas announced for the current year.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, they said they had been running from pillar to post to sell their crop.

The growers alleged that PTB had failed to bind the firms to purchase the announced quotas.

A total of 61 companies have announced their quotas for the current year, but only a few have abided by their commitment, said an official of a multinational company on condition of anonymity.

He said the PTB should take notice of it as according to the tobacco marketing MLO 487 the firms were bound to lift their quotas from the growers at reasonable price.

Last year, the total demand of the purchasing companies was 45.61 million kilogrammes, which was increased to 56.485 million kilogrammes for the current year.

Sources said PTB officials during a recent meeting had directed the buying firms to implement their quotas for the current year.

Some tobacco companies have agreed to purchase surplus quotas from growers as per the PTB directives, said the sources while quoting a decision made at the meeting.

Separately, eight people were injured when two groups clashed in Gandaf village on Tuesday, police said.

DSP Topi Iftikhar Ali Khan said the clash occurred over an old enmity. He said the injured were taken to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Topi.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2021