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Tobacco is an important cash crop of India. The Portugese introduced it to India in 1508. Its cultivation has been spread over to different parts of the country, where geographical conditions permit.

It is the main material used in cigarettes, bidi, cigar, cheroot and hookah. Tobacco is also chewed. It is a habit forming product, stimulant very injurious to health. However, it is still being smoked unhesitantly except by those forbidden by religion.

It is a tropical plant, thus finds suitable conditions of growth in the tropical and subtropical climates. It is grown in areas of wide range of temperature varying from 16°-35°C. It requires nearly 100° cm of annual rainfall.

However, it thrives in areas of even less rainfall provided irrigation provisions are there. Frost is tobacco’s sworn enemy Bright rainless weather is highly suitable during early stages of growth. Well drained friable sandy soils are ideal for its culture.

Soil is a very potent factor in determining crop production. Flat lands are best for tobacco plants however; the crop is grown upto a height of 1800 cm. The crop requires cheap labour for its cultivation right from field preparation, transplantation, weeding, manuring, harvesting, processing and preparing for marketing.

In India two types of tobacco is grown:

(i) Nicotiana Tobacum,

(ii) Nicotiana Rustica.

(i) Nicotiana Tobacum is used in cigarette, cigars, biri, chewing, hookah and pipe. 90% of India’s tobacco grown belongs to this variety.

(ii) Nicotiana Rustica:

It is mainly used for smoking, hookah, chewing and snuffing. 10% of tobacco grown in India is of this type.

India ranks third in the world in the production of tobacco after China and the U.S.A. It produces nearly 8% of world tobacco. Annual production touches about 4 lakh tonnes.

In India nearly 15 states grow tobacco. But Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh contribute 68% of India’s tobacco.

1. Gujarat .

Gujarat is the 2nd leading tobacco producing state of India. It accounts for over 36% of the total production. It is grown on 25% of area. Kheda and Vadodra are the two most important tobacco producing districts of Gujarat contributing 90% of state’s tobacco production.

2. Andhra Pradesh.

Presently it occupies first place in tabacco production in India grown in 41% area and giving 39% production. The crop is intensively grown in the west and the east Godavari, Krishna, Parkasham, Kurnool, Guntur, Nellore districts.

3. Karnataka.

Production: 9%, Area: 14%

4. Others.

The other tobacco producing states of India are:

U.P. 14% Etah, Varanasi, Mainpuri, Farukhabad

West Bengal: 2% Jalpaiguri, Malda, Dinajpur, Hoogly, Cooch-Behar districts

Bihar 2% Darbhanga, Samastipur, Vaishali districts

Tamil Nadu 2% Coimbatore, Madurai districts

Maharashtra 1.8% Kohlapur and Sangli districts

Rest others

India’s Tobacco research centre is located at Rajmundry (AP). 80% of tobacco produced is consumed in the country. The remaining 20% is exported. India is world’s fourth largest tobacco exporter. Nearly 60 countries of the world depend on Indian tobacco for their cigarette manufacturing. India earned R. 779 crores during 1998-99 from tobacco exports.

U.K. Russia, Japan, Germany, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nepal, Indonesia etc. are some of the major importers of India’s tobacco. The port of Chennai handles 90% of tobacco export and the remaining export is being handled by Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai.