Tobacco Board to Procure 36.48 Million Kg Surplus Yield in KP, Punjab

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) has formally allocated special quotas to purchase 36.48 million kilograms of surplus tobacco from growers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, delivering critical economic relief to agricultural stakeholders burdened with unsold stock.

According to official regulatory details, the strategic procurement plan addresses excess yield from the upcoming 2026 crop season. Under the finalized framework, designated tobacco companies and state-monitored procurement facilities will systematically absorb the surplus produce. The initiative is designed to protect local cultivators from market saturation, ensuring that small-scale farmers in primary growing districts do not face severe financial strain due to unpurchased crops.

The decision comes amid heightened anxiety among farming communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab over volatile market dynamics and shifting commercial demand. By enforcing official purchasing quotas, the regulatory body aims to maintain price stability, safeguard the livelihoods of tens of thousands of agricultural households, and streamline supply chain operations within Pakistan’s multi-billion-rupee tobacco sector.

Moving forward, the Pakistan Tobacco Board will issue detailed operational schedules and district-wise procurement allocations. Special monitoring teams are scheduled to be deployed across major trade hubs in both provinces to ensure transparent transactions and strict compliance by private buyers and cigarette manufacturing firms.