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‘Tobacco research centre to be built in Bunner’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan has said that tobacco is one of the major exports of Pakistan and all necessary steps would be taken to modernise tobacco farming in the country. He was talking to a delegation of tobacco growers from district Bunner, NWFP here on Thursday. ‘Tobacco farming is the backbone of our exports, therefore work on setting up a state-of-the-art tobacco research center has been sped up,” said the minister. He also told the delegation that modern tobacco kilns would be built soon in the region. Sher Akbar Khan, who was heading the delegation, briefed the minister about problems faced by the tobacco growers of district Bunner. Annually eight million kilograms of Virginia tobacco (fine quality), worth Rs 9.2 billion was cultivated in Bunner and almost 50 percent of the cultivable land was utilised for tobacco farming, he maintained. He further said that tobacco farming was initiated in 1963 in the region to provide an economic substitute for opium growers. He said that lack of research, modern techniques, un-availability of natural gas supply had marred the well being of tobacco farmers. Chief of the delegation further said there were at least 4760 tobacco kilns in district Bunner that operate according to outdated mechanism and requested the minister for the establishment of modern ones. The minister ensured the delegation complete support and facilitation from the ministry. staff report

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