FTT Chief Urges Govt Action as Tobacco Farmers Face Crisis

Islamabad (News Desk) – Muhammad Ameen, Chairman of the Fair Trade in Tobacco (FTT), has made a heartfelt appeal to the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to immediately intervene and safeguard the livelihoods of thousands of tobacco farmers, the majority of whom are smallholders. Speaking at a press briefing in Islamabad, Ameen called for urgent and fair enforcement of purchase quotas and timely payments, by the local companies, as legally required under the PTB Ordinance of 1968.

“Tobacco farmers are being pushed to the brink,” Ameen stated. “They are being forced to sell their crop at prices Rs. 200 below the legally mandated weighted average, and the payments they are owed are being delayed. This is feared to break the backbone of the tobacco industry, of which the farmers make the most important part.”

Under the PTB Ordinance, the Pakistan Tobacco Board is mandated to regulate procurement, enforce quotas, and ensure timely payments. Yet, many local companies have refused to lift their assigned quotas, leaving farmers with unsold or spoiled crops, and in some cases, without any payment at all. The situation is especially dire in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Punjab, where tobacco farming represents one of the few high-yield crops available to small-scale agricultural families.

“These are not large landholders or commercial exporters; these are families who live season to season,” Ameen said. “When local companies refuse to buy what they are obligated to and middlemen disappear without paying dues, farmers are left with no safety net. The consequences are devastating: debt, defaults, and in some cases, the complete ruin of entire households.”

Ameen requested the authorities to note that this crisis is unfolding at a time when Pakistan’s tobacco exports have shown remarkable promise. According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, tobacco exports surged by 158% in FY 2024–25, rising from $64.4 million to $166.5 million. “This is not the time to neglect the sector’s foundation,” Ameen said. “We should be celebrating our export growth and investing in the supply chain, not letting it collapse due to quota non-compliance and bureaucratic silence.”

He said that continued mishandling of the current crop by the local companies will damage the domestic economy and threaten Pakistan’s credibility as a reliable exporter. “If we allow local crops to be spoiled or go unsold, our international buyers will look elsewhere. We risk losing markets just as we’re beginning to gain ground.”

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Ameen called on the Pakistan Tobacco Board to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. “The PTB must enforce purchase quotas, compel companies to honor their commitments, and ensure that farmers are paid within the legally required 30-day period. If there is a surplus, it must be announced transparently, and procurement mechanisms must be put in place immediately.”

He also appealed to the government to treat this situation with the seriousness it deserves. “Supporting legitimate trade in tobacco protects our farmers, and it helps earn precious foreign exchange and stabilizes rural economies. It is in our national interest.”

Concluding his briefing, Ameen urged the media, civil society, and policymakers to stand with the farmers. “They have followed the law, fulfilled their obligations, and now deserve fairness and protection.”