Expressing anguish over steep increase in the volume of sale of smuggled cigarettes in the state, Federation of All India Farmers Associations (FAIFA) has appealed to the state government to launch a crackdown on the sellers. The FAIFA said that illegal sale of unauthorised cigarettes is not only causing huge loss to the exchequer but also affecting the incomes of the tobacco farmers in AP.

[...] “Tobacco in AP generates enormous economic benefits in terms of agricultural employment, farm incomes, revenue generation and foreign exchange earnings. India is the world’s 2nd largest producer and exporter of tobacco [...]