Tue Dec 23 13:32:46 UTC 2025: Summary:

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the Member of Parliament for Mysuru, India, has successfully advocated for tobacco growers in his constituency. The central government has issued a notification allowing registered and licensed growers to sell surplus Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco through authorized auction platforms. This follows representations made by Mr. Wadiyar to Union Ministers and Tobacco Board authorities, highlighting the distress faced by farmers due to unsold tobacco. The notification also includes a contribution requirement to the Tobacco Fund. Mr. Wadiyar is also urging the government to grant registered status to unregistered growers and increase the procurement quota.

News Article:

Mysuru MP Secures Relief for Tobacco Growers Facing Excess Crop Issues

MYSURU, INDIA – December 23, 2025 – Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar announced today that the central government has issued a notification permitting the sale of surplus tobacco for registered and licensed Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco growers in his constituency. This follows a period of advocacy by Mr. Wadiyar, who brought the plight of the farmers, facing difficulty selling their crops, to the attention of Union Ministers and the Tobacco Board.

“The Union government has now responded positively to these representations,” stated Mr. Wadiyar. The notification allows these growers to sell their excess FCV tobacco at auction platforms authorized by the Tobacco Board, with certain restrictions under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975, having been relaxed.

The notification stipulates that growers will contribute ₹1 per kilogram and 5% of sale proceeds from the 2025-26 season to the Tobacco Fund.

Mr. Wadiyar has been actively involved in addressing the crisis, even writing to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, seeking urgent intervention. He shared data indicating that nearly 10,000 card-holding farmers had cultivated approximately 10 million kg of tobacco, which had been deemed unauthorized, leading to significant financial hardship.

Beyond this immediate relief, Mr. Wadiyar is advocating for longer-term solutions, urging the government to grant registered-grower status to unregistered farmers and increase the procurement quota by 10%. With tobacco production in Karnataka having fallen from 100 million kg annually to 80 million kg due to climate change and other factors, these measures are crucial to ensuring the sustainability of the tobacco farming community.

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