PESHAWAR, Dec 1: The Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) has announced requirements for various types of tobaccos for 2002 crop indicated by different tobacco companies for information and guidance of the growers.

The flue-cured Virginia tobacco requirements for 2002 crop are 45.095 million kg, dark air-cured 1.550 million kg, white patta 2.100 million kg and burley 1.115 million kg.

The projected requirements from tobacco crop 2002 of flue-cured Virginia, dark air-cured and while patta are lower by 11.58 per cent, 10.77 per cent and 10.64 per cent while those of burely are higher by 85.83 per cent compared to production and purchases by the tobacco companies during 2001 crop, respectively.

The issues relating to pre-crop planning 2002 were considered at a meeting held at the board’s office, Peshawar the other day.

Khan Faraz, Secretary, Pakistan Tobacco Board presided over the meeting which was attended by growers’ members on Pakistan Tobacco Board and senior executives of tobacco companies, besides senior officers of the board.

It was decided that the tobacco companies should ensure issuance of agreements to genuine growers having land barns and tobacco plantation by the end of November 2001, and exhibit lists of agreement holders at the purchase depots.

The companies will issue seeds of approved varieties of tobacco i.e., Speight G-28 and K-399 to the enlisted growers shortly.

It was also decided that the tobacco companies would purchase tobacco according to their indicated purchase requirements from agreements-holders and not from “azad growers”.

Therefore, the growers should not grow tobacco without proper agreements and instead sow other alternative crops.—APP