Potential Ban on Tobacco Consumption and It’s Impact on Livelihood of Tobacco Farmers in Karnataka
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Date
2017-06
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University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad
Abstract
Tobacco is one of the most economically significant agricultural crops in India by providing substantially higher returns and employment. Tobacco industry in Karnataka is third largest in the country. The present study was conducted in Mysuru and Belagavi districts of Karnataka. It was based on the primary data collected through personal interview method from 80 tobacco and 64 non-tobacco farmers for the year 2015-16. The results revealed that tobacco farmers were socio economically in good position than non-tobacco farmers in terms of land holding, education and annual income in the area. It was revealed from the study that, the per acre cost of cultivation in FCV and beedi tobacco were ₹49,445 and ₹28,684with net returns of ₹29,571 and ₹17,965 respectively. With regarding to pattern of employment in tobacco weeding, harvesting and grading consumed more man days of labour. In irrigated area ginger (1.71), sugarcane (1.70) and chilli (1.63), and in rainfed area avare (1.92), cotton (1.68) and maize (1.66) were next best alternative crops to FCV tobacco (1.60) in terms of BC ratio. In case of beedi tobacco study revealed that sugarcane (1.98) and chilli (1.68) in irrigated area, soybean (1.72) and maize (1.62) in rainfed area were next best alternative crops to beedi tobacco (1.63). In case of alternative livelihood options for tobacco most of the tobacco farmers chosen crop production followed by crop production + farm wage earning, crop production + farm wage + non-farm wage earning and dairy as next livelihood options. Relative profit and no food related issues were the main reasons for growing tobacco in this areas. Majority of the farmers expressed timely non availability of labour, scarcity of irrigation water, high fluctuation in price of the produce and high cost of inputs as top constraints in tobacco cultivation.