• Tobacco is the most widely grown non-food crop in the world. Around 50 million growers in 23 developed and 94 developing countries grow tobacco. India is the world's third largest producer of tobacco next to China and USA.
• Tobacco sector in India provides about 30 million jobs in agricultural operations including nurseries, cultivation, curing, processing, manufacturing and distribution of tobacco products in rural and urban areas.
• Indian tobacco is exported to more than 80 countries spread over in all the continents accounting 4% of global tobacco exports. The total production of all tobacco varieties in India accounts for about 8.0% of total global production whereas it stands fifth in Flue Cured Virginia tobacco production registering only 3.3% of world production.
• Tobacco as a single largest commodity is the fourth leading revenue earner for the central Government contributing about 10% of the total Excise revenue collection and around 5% of agricultural exports from India, corresponding to Rs.5000 crores and Rs.1000 crores respectively.

• The origin and history of Tobacco suffers from ambiguity and contradictions. The genus Nicotiana is one of the five major genera of the family Solanaceae. Considered to be of recent origin, this genus is persumed to have had its original habitat in and around the Andes region of South America. Of the total 65 species in the genus, 45 are indigenous to North or South America and 20 are native to Australasia.
• Nicotiana tabacum and N. rustica are the only two cultivated species in the genus and several commercial varieties of them are being cultivated throughout the world.
• According to one source tobacco was in existence in Asia even during the 12^th Century. Century when it was not known elsewhere. It was not only used as an intoxicant, but also as a cure for all kinds of ills and paying homage to deities. Christopher Columbus discovered the narcotic qualities of tobacco by an accident in the course of his American voyage in 1492.
• According to another version Red Indians used tobacco for both medicinal and ceremonial purposes. They used to inhale its smoke from burning leaf through the nostrils by means of hallow forked cane and the name of the instrument was given to the plant which came to known as Tobacco in English.
• The plant was first introduced into Europe in 1560 by a spanish physician sent to Mexico. About this time Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal came to know of the tobacco in Lisbon and introduced it to the French court. The botanical name of Nicotiana and the word nicotine have been derived from this name. The habit of smoking spread in several countries during the 17^th Century.
• Tobacco is said to have been introduced into India during the beginning of 17^th Century. century. As elsewhere in the world, it has thrived inspite of considerable neglect and social disapproval.

• The area under tobacco in the world is 4291014 ha with a production of 7490661 m.tonnes and productivity of 1745 kg/ha.
• The major tobacco growing countries in the world are China, USA, India, Brazil, Turkey, Russia, Italy and Zimbabwe.

Source : FAOstat Citation

• India produces 7-8% of world's tobacco, while China alone accounts for nearly 40%.
• Tobacco is an important foreign exchange earner grown over 4.3 lakh ha (9.6% of world area) in the country. Andhra Pradesh cultivates both VFC and Natu tobacco varieties in 1.3lakh ha contributing to 43% of country's area ranking 1st among the states.

Source:DACP

• Cured leaf productivity of the country is 1,394 kg/ha, which is below the world's average yield (1,715 kg/ha). Tamil Nadu with a productivity of 1,463 kg/ha stands 4th in the country.

• Tobacco is grown in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.
• Practically every state in India grows one type of tobacco or other.
• However, cultivataion of tobacco is concentrated in certain well-marked zones.

• Nearly one third of the country's total production comprises of F.C.V. tobacco, which is utilised in the manufacture of Cigarettes.
• It is the principal export-oriented variety and as much as 50% of the total production of this tobacco is exported to foreign countries.
• Among the states growing this tobacco, Andhra Pradesh occupies the first place accounting for more than 95% of production in the country.
• In Andhra Pradesh its cultivation is confirmed to the districts of Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, East and West Godavari, Krishna, Kareemnagar and Khammam.
• In the traditional areas, this tobacco is cultivated in heavy black cotton soils.
• In recent years, the cultivation of this tobacco is being extended to new light soil areas not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in Karnataka and Gujarat.

• Bidi-tobacco shares about 30% of the total tobacco area and about 40% of tobacco production in the country.
• Among the states growing this tobacco, Gujarat stands first. In Gujarat, the cultivation is concentrated mainly in Kaira and Baroda Districts and to some extent in Mehsona District.
• The other important bidi tobacco growing areas are Nippani covering Belgam District of Karnataka and parts of Kolhapur and Sanghi Districts of Maharashtra.
• Karnool area in Andra Pradesh is a new developing bidi tobacco area. To a small extent it is grown in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

• The South Tamil Nadu area covering Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Coimbatore Districts grow Cigar filler, binder, cheroot, chewing and snff tobaccos.

• Desi, Vllayati, Motihari and Sati types of tobacco are cultivated in Muzaffapur, Darbharga, Purnea districts of Bihar and Cooch Bihar and Jalpaigun Districts of West Bengal.
• These types are also used for chewing and in the manufacture of snuff. Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh is also an important area in growing tobacco mainly for hookah and chewing purpose.
• Among the different states, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are important for the production of different types grown in the country.
• Because of the shift in the consumer preference for cigarette smoking, the area under F.C.V. tobacco has shown considerable increase, where as a declining trend has been seen under the Chewing, Lanka, Cheroot and Snuff types of tobaccos.

• Tobacco is cultivated in around 10000 ha in Tamil Nadu.
• The crop is transplanted during September – October and harvested in January – February.
• Sun-cured tobacco varieties are transplanted from mid October to mid December.
• High quality cheroot tobacco types are transplanted in November and December months.
• Nattu tobacco is transplanted in Bhavani area in October and even during November – December after the harvest of rice.
• In Sentharaipatti area, tobacco is transplanted from January to February.
• High quality cheroot tobacco is grown is parts of Madurai district and around Dindigul and Vedasandur area.
• Natu, cheroot type of variety Oosikkappal is cultivated in Sentharappatti area of Salem district and in Bhavani and Kurichi blocks of Erode district.
• In other parts of the state mostly chewing type of tobacco are grown.
• High quality cheroot tobacco is grown in red sandy gravel soils with irrigation water having total soluble salts is less than 100 ppm.
• Natu cheroot tobacco are cultivated mostly in red loam soils with high fertility status.
• In sandy clay loam soils with irrigation water having high chloride content, chewing tobacco varieties are grown.
• In Bhavani block of Erode district and also in some parts of Coimbatore district chewing tobacco is grown even in black soils under canal irrigation. Chewing tobacco is also grown in Vedaranyam area in sandy soils.
• High quality cheroot tobacco is mostly sun cured, Natu cheroot tobacco is processed both under sun and shade curing and chewing tobacco is cured by sun, smoke and pit curing methods.
• In general in Tamil Nadu, sun cured chewing tobacco is cultivated around 60-65% of tobacco area. Tobacco area under smoke curing is about 30% and pit curing is done for the remaining 5% area under chewing tobacco.
• The Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) Research Station at Vedasandur is functioning from 1948 in Tamil Nadu.
• Because of the continuous research and extension work of the CTRI research station at Vedasandur, the chewing tobacco yield is increased from 2000 kg/ha in 1948 to 2800 kg/ha in 1956-59, and 3250 kg/ha in 1977-78 and 3800 – 4000 kg/ha at present.

• Unlike in other crops, the ultimate product in tobacco is the leaf that is consumed. Nicotine is the principle alkaloid present in tobacco leaf. Large quantities of tobacco are consumed for smoking, chewing and snuff. Small quantities are also utilised in manufacture of nicotine sulphate used as insecticide and for pharmaceutical purposes.
• Tobacco is consumed in one form or other all over the world and possibly is the most democratic luxury and as such it is rich man's solace and poor man's comfort with the everchanging socio-economic conditions and mounting tensions associated with present day living, consumption of tobacco as a means of relaxation has increased considerably.
• The trends in tobacco consumption in recent years show more preference towards smoking.

• Tobacco cultivation has become an industry, which has made great strides and is playing major role in Indian Economy. So much so India has now become the third largest producer of tobacco in the world, after U.S.A and China.
• Total production in India is 550 – 600 Million Kg.
• Out of that 33% is from Five Cured Virginia and remaining 67% is from Virginia
• FCV is mainly used for manufacture of cigarettes
• Virginia is used in production of beedies, cigars, zards, chewing tobacco, hookha and snuff.

• Sixty % of F.C.V. produced in India is being utilised by the domestic industry and the balance is exported. In the past, chewing, hookha and cheroot were the most popular forms consumed in India. In 1950s and 1960s, beedi and cigarette sectors expanded immensely.
• Worldwide 85% of cultivated tobacco goes to cigarette, but in India it is only 20%. Beedi is the most popular form in India. The sales of beedies total about 1000 billions as compared to only 5 billion cigarettes.
• A total of about 85,000 farm families depend on this crop for the livelyhood. Around four million people get second employment for harvesting, growing and processing. About 1.0 million retailers make a living from selling cigarettes and other tobacco products.