Tobacco exports jump 70% in April

NEW DELHI: Tobacco shipment from India, the third-largest exporter in the world shot up by about 70% to exceed Rs 300 crore in April 2009 boosted by a surge in realisation.

���The country exported tobacco worth Rs 3,48.91 crore in April this year against Rs 2,04.86 crore in the same month last year,��� a senior tobacco board official told reporters.

However, the rise in the volume of export is not that dramatic. Tobacco shipment comprising raw tobacco and its products rose marginally in volume to 20,166 tonnes in April compared with 19,733 tonnes a year earlier, he said.

���High prices of Indian tobacco have contributed immensely to the rise in exports in value terms even though volumes of shipment have not increased that much,��� the official said. While raw tobacco export has surged both in value and volume terms, that of tobacco products has lagged. The country has shipped abroad raw tobacco worth Rs 306.86 crore in April against Rs 159.79 crore in the same period last year while in volume terms, the unmanufactured tobacco export has shot up to 18,270 tonnes from 17,160 tonnes during the review period.

However, the shipment value of tobacco products slipped to Rs 42.05 crore in the first month of this fiscal from Rs 45.07 crore a year earlier. Similarly, the export volume has declined to 1,896 tonnes from 2,573 tonnes during the period. Indian tobacco prices have hit a record high on a surge in demand overseas.

The average price of tobacco in the ongoing auction in Andhra Pradesh has touched a record and is ruling at Rs 107.09 per kg as on June 15 compared with Rs 84.31 on the same day last year, according to official data. The rate of the highest-quality tobacco has touched Rs 114.91 a kg as on June 15 against Rs 86.78 a year earlier, he added.