Tobacco growers in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province accused the local management of a multinational tobacco company of failing to honor procurement agreements by refusing to purchase leaf that farmers say meets agreed quality standards. Protesting outside the Pakistan Tobacco Company’s depot in Charsadda, growers claimed the alleged refusal has left hundreds of farming families facing financial hardship during the marketing season and warned that continued purchasing delays could discourage future tobacco cultivation.
Farmer representatives are calling on provincial and federal authorities to intervene, investigate the dispute, and ensure procurement contracts are honored, while threatening to escalate demonstrations if the company does not resume purchases.
