New Delhi [India], April 22 : The Centre has decided to renew the Certificate of Registration as a Virginia tobacco grower and the License for operation of a barn for three years instead of one year, as part of ease of doing business, in order to reduce the burden of mandatory yearly renewal.
These registrations or licenses will now be valid for 3 years instead of the existing practice of renewing every year, an official release said.
"To facilitate the growers to renew this registration / licenses once in 3 years, the Government of India has amended the sub-rule(5), (6) and (7) of rule 33 and sub-rule (2) and (3) of rule 34N, of Tobacco Board Rules, 1976," the release said.
The amendment to the Tobacco Board Rules, 1976 was published in the Gazette of India by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It will be effective from 2025-26 crop season in Andhra Pradesh.
"This amendment of increasing the periodicity from one to three years will be greatly helpful to around 83,500 farmers covering around 91,000 barns in renewing their registrations/licenses across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Odisha states," the release said.
Virginia tobacco is being regulated in India by an Act of Parliament i.e., Tobacco Board Act, 1975 and the rules notified there under. As per the Tobacco Board Act, 1975 and relevant rules, every grower intending to take up cultivation of Virginia tobacco has to obtain certificate of registration as a grower and a license for operation of a barn. Accordingly, the Tobacco Board is facilitating the registration / licensing on an annual basis.
India is second largest producer and fourth largest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco in the World (in value terms during 2023) and generating to the Indian exchequer.
During 2024-25, tobacco exports contributed Rs 16,728 crore to the Indian exchequer.