The Centre has issued a notification allowing tobacco growers in Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency to sell surplus tobacco. Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar confirmed this on December 23. He had raised the growers’ concerns with Union Ministers, senior officials, and the Tobacco Board. "The Union government has now responded positively to these representations," said Mr. Wadiyar. According to the notification, registered and licensed growers can sell excess Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco through auction platforms authorised by the Tobacco Board. Restrictions under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975, have been relaxed to help farmers dispose of their tobacco. The notification also requires each registered grower to contribute ₹1 per kg and 5% of the sale proceeds to the Tobacco Fund for the 2025–26 season. Recently, the MP wrote to Union Minister Piyush Goyal seeking urgent help for tobacco growers facing tough times as their crop was declared unauthorised. Nearly 10,000 card-holding farmers in Mysuru grew about 10 million kg of tobacco this season. The ban on sales pushed them into financial distress. Mr. Wadiyar urged the Commerce Ministry to permit immediate procurement of their produce. In Karnataka, tobacco production has dropped from close to 100 million kg annually a decade ago to 80 million kg now, due to climate and other challenges. The MP also asked the Centre to grant registered-grower status to unregistered farmers and increase the procurement quota by 10%.