PHIIPPINES
The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) in the Philippines recently appealed to all tobacco growers in the region to sell their products only to licensed traders to ensure fair market price.
NTA officer-in-charge Luzviminda Padayao explained there are at least two NTA-licensed buying stations located in Batac City and in Currimao town, where they can offer their goods.
“We have no control over cowboys/traders who are going to villages to buy tobacco leaves. These NTA-licensed buying stations are being monitored through the use of prescribed trading forms such as purchase invoice vouchers (PIVs) and certificate of purchase,” she said in an interview Tuesday. Before the opening of the trading season, the regulation department has conducted a series of meetings and orientation seminars to discuss current trading situations and other trading concerns with the tobacco leaf buyers, and to observe buying process on the trading floor.
Farmers say that the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law has affected much their production cost. The current tobacco price ranges from PHP60 to PHP75 per kilo.
According to the Farm and Technology Services Department of NTA, tobacco growers can earn an average of PHP70,000 net income per hectare should they enter into a contract-growing scheme backed by the local government.
“Tobacco is the only crop that gives me a decent source of income for my family. So I appeal to the government to continue giving its support to tobacco growers like me,” said Alvin Bilgera, who started harvesting tobacco leaf in his farm in Agtangao, Bangued, Abra last week.
He also hoped that the quality of tobacco leaves would command higher grades and prices in the trading center.