Mysore/Mysuru, March 2 -- With Karnataka Tobacco growers demanding a fair price equivalent to that of growers in Andhra Pradesh, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) chaired a Tobacco Board meeting with public representatives and trade representatives to deliberate on issues related to the ongoing Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco auctions (2025-26) in Karnataka at Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) auditorium in city this morning.

Addressing the meeting, Kumaraswamy said that cigarette manufacturers were complaining about high taxes on tobacco products, which has ultimately hit the tobacco industry, with significant drop in sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Stating that tobacco com...