India's Centre team visits Andhra Pradesh to aid FCV tobacco growers

On 26 July, a delegation from India's Ministry of Commerce led by Additional Secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav travelled to Andhra Pradesh. The team met with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Tobacco Board chairman and its executive director to review the market situation of Flue‑Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco and discuss measures to protect growers.

The officials inspected the Tobacco Board’s electronic auction platform in Vellampalli, praised its transparency, and pledged continued monitoring of market trends. They highlighted that India is the world’s fourth‑largest producer of FCV tobacco and the second‑largest exporter of raw tobacco by volume, and outlined long‑term strategies to stabilise production and improve farmer incomes.