Better Methods of Virginia Tobacco Cultivation in Guntur District.

Abstract

Guntur district has nearly 50 per cent of the total area under tobacco in the Madras Presidency. During the past decade, as a result of persistent efforts of the India Leaf Tobacco Development Company, ryots have taken to the cultivation of Virginia tobacco and its curing in barns. The present area extends over 1,00,000 acres, fetching a return of about one and a half to two crores of rupees to the District. The country tobacco (Natu) extends over 50,000 acres and it may fetch another half a crore of rupees every year. Virginia tobacco produced in the Guntur, Kistna and Godavari districts forms the bulk of cigarette tobacco produced in and exported from India. With proper methods of cultivation, curing and marketing, it is possible in course of time to find a steady market in foreign countries especially the United kingdom for a fairly large quantity of high class leaf. Tobacco is at present the main money crop in the Guntur district. Unless proper steps are taken to increase the yield and improve the quality of leaf and rectify some defects in other respects, the trade is likely to suffer in a very short time.