Leaders of tobacco growers voiced their concerns about suffering losses as tobacco purchasing companies showed preference towards traders, leaving the farmers at a disadvantage. They urged the companies to purchase tobacco directly from growers, emphasizing that the involvement of middlemen harmed their interests.
According to the Central president of the Tobacco Growers Association Pakistan, Liaquat Yousafzai, this policy of relying on traders has been detrimental to farmers, as the business community exploits their financial vulnerability, offering them low prices for their crops. The tobacco is then resold to the companies at higher rates, leaving farmers at a disadvantage.
The situation has caused discontent among growers, with district president of Kisan Board, Khalid Khan, revealing that the companies offered higher prices to traders than to the farmers themselves.
On another front, the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology and the Tarbela Dam administration have launched a joint monsoon plantation campaign. They aim to plant more saplings and educate people about the importance of trees in maintaining a clean and green environment.