Plight of Andhra growers ‘extremely grave’

The plight of tobacco growers in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has been described by two leading tobacco growers’ associations as ‘extremely grave’, according to a Webindia story.

The Kondepi Tobacco Growers’ Association and the Kaligiri FCV Tobacco Growers’ Association were quoted as saying that they were disturbed by the ‘growing number’ of suicides among tobacco growers in the state.

They said that the government should examine grower livelihoods before embarking on ‘extreme regulations’.

‘There is no alternative to tobacco farming in our area because of the soil and climatic conditions,’ they said.