SWABI: Leaders of tobacco growers on Friday rejected the per kilogramme price set by the two companies – Pakistan Tobacco Company and Philip Morris International Pakistan.

Reacting to the price offered by the companies, Arif Khan, central president of Ittehad Kashtkaran, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the companies had offered Rs425 per kilogramme for Virginia tobacco, which was unrealistic keeping in view the rising prices of fertiliser, labour, pesticides and other costs.

A survey of the tobacco-growing districts was conducted in October and November last year and the minimum price finalised by the Economic Coordination Council of Federal Ministry for Commerce was set at Rs310 per kg for the current year, but leaders of growers rejected this price.

Arif Khan said: “In the open market, businessmen and small companies are purchasing tobacco at Rs500 per kg, offering Rs76 more than the multinational companies.”

He said if companies stuck to their low price offer then the growers would have no option but stage protests in front of their local offices.

Liaqat Yousafzai, central president of Tobacco Growers Association Pakistan, said they had appealed to the growers to stop taking their produce to the buying centres of the companies.

“After Eid, we will evolve a joint line of action,” he said.

POWER CUTS: The residents of Swabi braved sleepless night due to excessive power outages.

They told Dawn on Friday that the temperatures increased so did the loadshedding duration.

The residents said far-flung areas remained without power for the whole Thursday night.

“The complaint numbers of Peshawar Electric Supply Company remained either busy or the staff did not attend the calls,” Umar Farooq of Maneri Bala village said.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023