New Delhi: The Centre has decided to renew the Certificate of Registration for Virginia tobacco growers and the license for operation of a barn for 3 years instead of a year as at present in order to reduce the burden of mandatory yearly renewal for over 83,000 tobacco farmers in the country, the Commerce and Industry Ministry announced on Tuesday.
This means the registrations/licenses will be valid for 3 years instead of the existing practice of renewing them every year as part of the government’s policy to facilitate the ease of doing business, the ministry said in a statement.
“To facilitate the growers to renew this registration/licenses once in 3 years, the Government of India has amended the sub-rule(5), (6) and (7) of rule 33 and sub-rule (2) and (3) of rule 34N, of the Tobacco Board Rules, 1976. The amendment to the aforementioned Tobacco Board Rules,1976, was published in the Gazette of India by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The same will be effective from the 2025-26 crop season in Andhra Pradesh,” the statement said.
The amendment of increasing the periodicity from one to three years will be of great help to around 83,500 farmers covering around 91,000 barns in renewing their registrations/licenses across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha states, the statement said.
Virginia tobacco is being regulated in India by an Act of Parliament– the Tobacco Board Act, 1975 and the rules notified thereunder. As per the Tobacco Board Act, 1975 and Rules notified thereunder, every grower intending to take up cultivation of Virginia tobacco has to obtain a certificate of registration as a grower and a license for operation of a barn. Accordingly, the Tobacco Board is facilitating registration and licensing.
India is the second largest producer and fourth largest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco in the World in value terms. Tobacco exports contributed $1,979 million (Rs 16,728 crore) to the Indian exchequer during the financial year 2024-25, the statement added.
(IANS)
