Extension and Developmental Schemes:

 

Tobacco Board implemented several extension and developmental schemes during 2018-19 crop season, aimed at conserving the natural resources, reducing the cost of cultivation, improving the yield and quality of Tobacco, conserving the energy in curing and post harvest product management.  The following are the schemes:

 

1.  Soil Health Management –Supply of green manure seed

 

As a part of sustainable farm practices and to enrich the soil with organic matter for improving the quality of tobacco, Board is encouraging the growers to go for in-situ green manuring by supplying green manure seeds – Sunhemp, Diancha, Pillipesara etc in coordination with State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Having been convinced with concerted efforts made by the Board and its functionaries on the benefits of raising green manure crops farmers are coming forward and raising green manure crops.  An area of 4598 ha. was taken up by growers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with green manure crops during 2018-19 crop season.

 

         b. Improving Yield & Quality of Tobacco:

 

                Integrated pest management is a concept where effective pest and disease control is achieved through a combination of all pest control methods viz., biological, cultural, mechanical and botanical in additional to chemical methods. Integrated Pest Management is intended to minimize the use of agro-chemicals and to reduce residues and protect environment and soil micro-flora and fauna. Under this scheme, Board supplied Pheromone Traps and Yellow Sticky Traps for monitoring pest population in tobacco fields and helping effective implementation of IPM strategies.

 

                Details of expenditure incurred by Board towards extending subsidy for Supply of Pheromone Traps and Yellow Sticks Traps during 2018-19 crop season are as follows:

 

 

3. Scheme for conservation of energy in tobacco curing – Propagation of fuel efficient technology:

 

In an effort to save the fuel required for curing of tobacco, Tobacco Board had been implementing several energy conservation schemes. Under these scheme the growers are being encouraged to adopt energy saving technologies by providing suitable financial assistance in coordination with the trade. Fuel efficient technologies like replacing the traditional barn furnaces with improved design of the furnace - Ventury furnace; insulation of barns with Glass wool roof insulation and fitting the barns with Turbo ventilator, Paddy Straw Roof Insulation of barns  not only helped in saving the fuel costs but also reduced the time required for curing of tobacco .

 

Details of barns insulated and financial achievement under these schemes are detailed below:

 

i. Scheme for replacing traditional furnace with Ventury Furnace(Improved design of furnace):

An improved design of furnace system - Ventury furnace facilitates better combustion of fuel and heat transfer ensuring adequate supply of oxygen avoiding soot deposition in the flue pipes and achieves 15 – 20% saving in fuel consumption. The Board implemented this scheme in Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with trade (M/s.ITC Ltd., and M/s. Godfrey Philips India Ltd).

 

Improved barn furnace known as Venturi furnace results in 15 to 20% fuel saving and reduction in curing time and thereby the overall curing costs are reduced. The cost of fixing of Venturi furnace is Rs.18,000/- to Rs.20,000/unit depending on the material available with the  grower.

 

                                                                                                (Subsidy in Rs.Lakh)

 

ii. Glass Wool Roof Insulation of Barns:

 

The Objective of this scheme is to promote energy conservation in curing of FCV Tobacco through glass wool insulation of roof of barns and providing Turbo Ventilator for free air circulation in barn by extending subsidy to the grower beneficiaries. The scheme envisaged fuel wood savings to the extent of 25 to 27% and reduced the cost of cultivation by about Rs.6500/- per ha. approximately. In addition, these interventions in barn had resulted in improvement of leaf quality in curing by avoiding caramalization and sponging of leaf. The total cost of glass wool roof insulation and fitting of turbo ventilator ranged from Rs.25,502/- to 29,667/- per barn  of size 16X16  to 16X20 and 16X24  approximately. (Turbo ventilator cost is Rs.4,744/-).

 

Board implemented this scheme in a focused mode in Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with trade (M/s ITC ltd, M/S Godphrey Philips India Ltd, M/S Deccan Tobacco Enterprises) by extending a financial assistance of Rs.5300/barn. The trade had contributed 50% of the cost as financial assistance and the remaining 25% of cost of insulation was borne by the grower beneficiary.

 

The details of scheme implemented during 2018-19 crop season is as follows:

 

 

iii.  Paddy straw roof Insulation with turbo ventilator:

 

The Objective of this scheme is to promote energy conservation in curing of FCV Tobacco  through paddy straw insulation of barns and providing Turbo Ventilator for free air circulation in barn by extending subsidy to grower beneficiaries. The total cost of paddy straw insulation approximately will be Rs.15,000/ barn.

                                                                                               

The Board implemented this scheme in collaboration with trade (M/s ITC) by extending subsidy of Rs.5000/barn in Karnataka. This technology gave on an average a fuel saving of 30%.

(Subsidy in Rs.lakhs)

 

4. Grow your own fuel” Scheme – supply of fast growing tree saplings:

 

The Board, as eco-friendly measure has initiated a scheme to encourage farmers to take up cultivation of fast growing trees to meet the fuel requirements for tobacco curing and thereby prevent denudation forest cover and natural precious resources and maintenance of ecological balance.

 

The principles of Sustainable Tobacco Production (STP) envisage eliminating the use of coal and non-sustainable sources of firewood for tobacco curing. The wood used for curing shall have to be sourced from sustainable wood sources and alternative bio-mass fuels are to be promoted in future. As a part of this initiative, Tobacco Board is encouraging the registered tobacco growers to take up planting of fast growing trees to ensure supply of the fuel requirement for curing of Tobacco from their own plantation without impacting natural wood resources. In fact, Tobacco Board had made it mandatory that all the registered growers of tobacco shall undertake to plant a minimum of 10 plants per year.

The details of saplings supplied during 2018-19 crop season are as follows:

 

 

         e.    Post Harvest Product Management – Measures for Product Integrity:

 

1. Supply of Tarpaulins:

 

Now a days the customers are according priority and importance for the product Integrity and for tobacco free from NTRMs (Non Tobacco Related Materials). Importers of Indian tobacco often complain that farmers are not taking adequate care while handling the leaf.  Therefore, the Board is embarked upon educating the farmers on Post Harvest Product Management and Elimination of NTRMs in the Tobacco.

 

Non-tobacco related material (NTRM) is of critical concern to the tobacco industry. Comprehensive approaches to NTRM source elimination and NTRM detection and removal at all levels of the supply chain are necessary in order to protect tobacco integrity. Farm-level prevention and elimination of NTRM sources is cost effective and successful strategy to achieve positive results. Strong partnerships with farmers and the farm community and continuous education of farmers are key elements for farm level elimination of NTRMs. Efforts to avoid NTRMs at harvesting, transport, curing and storage, Board supplying Canvas Tarpaulins to growers on subsidy basis.

 

 

2. Analysis of Agro-chemical residues in leaf tobacco:

 

Indiscriminate use of pesticides i.e., use of pesticides more number of times than required, use of higher doses than recommended, use of pesticide mixtures (mixing more than one insecticide),  use of banned pesticides on tobacco or pesticides not recommended for tobacco is leading to CPA residues problem in leaf tobacco. The problem of CPA residues in cured tobacco leaf is assuming serious proportions impacting the export prospects of tobacco as tobacco importing countries are imposing stringent conditions that CPA residues in leaf tobacco shall be below statutory Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).  Though Indian tobacco is known for low CPA residues, in order to strategize and develop action plan for tackling future problems of CPA residues, Tobacco Board has been implementing several measures proactively.

 

The Board undertaking Analysis of leaf samples for determining agro-chemical residues in collaboration with NIPHM, Hyderabad for proper monitoring and control of residue levels in leaf tobacco.

 

Based on the analysis results, specific focused interventions are being taken up to restrict reoccurrence of these CPA residues above GRL.

 

            During 2018-19 crop season, Board launched massive campaigns for control of pesticide residues to get assured  quality of leaf to improve product integrity and got great achievement by production of 96% residue free tobacco by the farmers in NLS area and 100% residue free Tobacco in SLS/SBS/KLS area.

 

3. Leaf Chemistry Analysis for Nicotine, Sugars and Chlorides: 

 

Tobacco Board also undertaking the analysis of leaf tobacco in every crop season in collaboration with CTRI, Rajahmundry for determining Nicotine, Sugars and Chlorides so as to determine the quality of leaf grown during the particular season and to establish the crop chemistry.

 

During 2018-19 crop season in Andhra Pradesh crop 120 samples and in  Karnataka 102 samples @ 1 sample / cluster were analysed.

 

4.Construction of bulking sheds:

 

Creation of on Farm Storage is necessary to hold Tobacco in good condition from the time it has completed curing, grading, baling until it is ready to be marketed. Better on farm storage facilities will help the farmers in preventing the NTRM’s and ensure “Cleanliness of the product”. Keeping this in view, Board encouraging growers to go for construction of bulking sheds/storage facilities by extending financial assistance and necessary credit through commercial banks.

 

During 2018-19 crop season, Board extended Rs.2.60 Lakhs to growers towards construction of bulking sheds.