History

Pakistan became self-sufficient in tobacco production in the year 1969, before which our country was a net importer on tobacco.

Although tobacco is grown throughout the country, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa is the primary source as its climate and soil conditions suits it growth the most. Therefore, much effort has been made on tobacco- related work over there, making it the main source of production of the raw material.

During the recent years, Pakistan has become the 5th largest tobacco producer in the world and 4th in highest yield.

The cultivation of Virginia tobacco, with the average yield of 861Kgs per hectare in 1948, has reached to 2400Kgs per hectare. Flue Cured Virginia tobacco is now the most widely grown and widely used type of cigarette tobacco in Pakistan and the total production of this high value commodity is 66 million Kgs. Pakistan is now the 7th largest producer of FCV in the world.

The current tobacco production in the country exceeds 100 million kilograms per year, although what is perhaps more important is the types of tobacco grown in the country. Flue Cured Virginia, Burley and White Patta, being the higher the higher value types, as opposed to lower priced filler tobacco, is grown in much larger shares. This fact drastically increased the returns for farmers and eliminated our reliance on imports for higher quality tobacco.