CHARSADDA — Tobacco growers have accused the local management of a multinational company of reneging on a procurement agreement, refusing to purchase leaf they say meets contractual quality standards.
At a demonstration outside the company’s depot in the Sardhery area, farmer representatives, including Fazal Rabi, alleged that depot staff had rejected clean, properly graded tobacco despite growers fulfilling all agreed-upon conditions. The growers said the refusal has left hundreds of farming families facing financial hardship during the peak marketing season.
Protesters further claimed that depot personnel behaved discourteously and, on several occasions, locked the facility’s gates to prevent farmers from entering to lodge complaints.
Speakers emphasized that tobacco remains a principal cash crop for Charsadda, sustaining thousands of families and generating millions of rupees in tax revenue for the national economy. They argued that despite this contribution, growers are being denied their contractual rights, warning that the standoff threatens heavy losses for farmers who invested heavily in this season’s crop.
“The farming community is facing economic destruction,” one speaker said, cautioning that prolonged inaction could force many to abandon tobacco cultivation entirely.
The protesters announced they are mobilizing growers across the district and reaching out to political parties and public representatives to press their demands. They urged both the provincial and federal governments to intervene immediately, investigate the matter, and ensure procurement proceeds according to the signed agreement.
The farmers warned that if management does not reverse its policy and resume purchases without delay, they will stage a larger protest at Farooq-i-Azam Chowk. Demonstrators pledged to keep their campaign peaceful but vowed to continue their struggle until their demands are met, stressing that the dispute threatens not only individual livelihoods but the region’s broader agricultural economy.
