Initiative for Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco Farmers | 27 Feb 2024

Source: PIB

  • Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco is predominantly cultivated in India, primarily in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with the current crop season underway.
  • The Michaung cyclone caused heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh, severely affecting the FCV tobacco crop across several districts.
    • Against this backdrop, the Government of India has approved an interest-free loan of Rs 10,000 from the Grower Welfare Fund of the Tobacco Board for FCV Tobacco growers in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Flue-cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco:
    • FCV tobacco is an important commercial crop grown during kharif as rainfed crop predominantly on red sandy loam soils.
    • The FCV tobacco cultivated in Karnataka Light Soils is known as ‘Mysore style tobacco’.
      • Curing prepares harvested tobacco for market by standardising the process to achieve desired leaf qualities and remove moisture.
  • India grows ten distinct types of tobacco in 15 states, including cigarette (FCV, burley, Oriental) and non-cigarette types (Bidi, chewing, hookah and cigar), making it the world's second-largest producer and exporter of tobacco.

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