CTRI RESEARCH STATION, DINHATA

COOCH BEHAR DISTRICT - 736 135, WEST BENGAL. Phone : 9873564373
Name of the Head (in-charge): Dr Partha Saha
Email:partha.saha@icar.gov.in

              Before the partition of Bengal (During pre-independence period) Cigar wrapper tobacco used to be grown in Rangpur district, now Bangladesh. As a result of the partition the important cigar tobacco belt was lost. But massive demand of cigar tobacco by the domestic cigar industries located at Tiruchinapalli and Dindigul necessitated the search for a suitable agro-climatic area to cater to the domestic need. Based on intensive pilot trials the district of Cooch Behar in west Bengal ( 26 21' N latitude and 89 27 E longitude ) situated at the foot hill plains of the Himalayas, adjacent to Rangpur was found suitable for growing Cigar tobacco . In 1951 the Research Station at Dinhata was established by the then ICTC for exploring the possibility of growing cigar local tobacco and to develop improved package of practices for enhancing the yield and quality standards and to improve Tobacco farmers of the region through research works. Motihari and Jati types of tobacco are grown in area of 12,000 hectares covering mostly the northern part of West Bengal. The Research Station is working on Cigar wrapper, Jati and Motihari tobaccos by evolving high yielding varieties with better quality, management of pests and diseases, minimising the cost of cultivation, producing pure seed and seedlings for the benefit of the farmers and finding most suitable inter crops for tobacco.