SWABI: The representatives of multinational companies have warned local growers against cultivation of non-recommended varieties of Virginia tobacco.

Addressing a workshop here at Chota Lahor, the officials told the farmers to grow only recommended varieties of tobacco keeping in mind the requirements of the companies.

The workshop was attended by both officials and growers from all over the district.

Last year, tobacco growers and buyers were at loggerheads in the district. The companies had declared that they did not want to buy non-recommended varieties of tobacco while the growers staged protests against them.

Hidayat Ali Shah, leaf manger of a multinational company, said that the quality of the crop should be ensured. The companies always extended assistance to the growers in that connection, he added. “We are ready to help them and have already worked on this plan,” he said.

The officials of the companies received information that the growers were planning to cultivate non-recommended varieties of tobacco.

“However, we want to tell them that they should avoid cultivation of such varieties because the companies would not purchase them,” Mr Shah said.

Akbar Ali, farm manager tobacco research station in Mardan, said that that non-recommended varieties had four per cent nicotine and six per cent sugar but better quality of tobacco had less ratio of both nicotine and sugar.

“This was the main reason that the companies rejected the tobacco, advising the growers to follow the instructions of the experts of the companies. The experts conduct productive research and after that recommend a variety,” he said.

The recommended varieties include Speight G-28, K-399, OVH-50, RGH-04 and PVH 2310. “If growers cultivate these varieties, the companies would purchase them without any hesitation.

There would be no protest demonstration and both companies and growers would coordinate with each other in a working environment,” Mr Ali said.

Khalid Usman, manager of another multinational company, said that the quality of tobacco could be improved only with the cultivation of recommended varieties. “The non-recommended varieties are a headache for both purchasers and the growers,” he said.

Sardar Hussain said that it was difficult to export non-recommended varieties of tobacco to other counties. “We lose export and foreign exchange when we fail to produce quality tobacco,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Awami National Party leaders said here on Tuesday that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf should not take credit for Gaju Khan Medical College (GKMC) as the project was initiated by the previous provincial government of their party.

The foundation of GKMC was laid by speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly on Sunday but the ANP leaders criticised the ruling coalition for taking the credit.

The ANP leaders in a meeting said that if PTI and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) leaders should initiate new projects in the district if they had love for the local people.

Arshad Ali, head of ANP membership drive committee, said that Gaju Khan was a brave Pukhtun leader and it was the ANP government which built his tomb and later on decided that a medical college would be named after him.