Solutions sought in wake of tobacco-grower suicides

Drawing Indian MPs’ attention to the 20 tobacco growers who committed suicide this year, YSR Congress Party Whip Y.V. Subba Reddy told parliament on Tuesday that the government, which wants to discourage tobacco production, needs to come up with a strategy to help tobacco growers make a smooth transition to alternative crops that are equally remunerative, according to a story in the Hindu relayed by the TMA.

Reddy said that the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance should work with cigarette market leader ITC to find a permanent solution to growers’ problems.

The government should direct the Tobacco Board to provide compensation to growers willing to dismantle their tobacco barns.

The tobacco sector earned Rs60.6 billion (US$910.9 million) in foreign exchange in 2013-14 and Rs52.0 billion (US$781.7 million) in 2014-15.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry has asked the External Affairs Ministry to issue instructions to Indian embassies to explore opportunities for increasing tobacco exports.