BAGUIO CITY — Farmers, producing flue-cured Virginia tobacco and air-cured Burley and Native tobacco, are selling at high prices at buying stations, according to data gathered by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA).
Freddie Lazaro, NTA public relations officer, said the buying price per kilogram of the prime class of tobacco or Class AA of the flue-cured Virginia tobacco has reached as high as P113, higher than the approved floor price of P97.00.
The buying price on the prime class of both air-cured Burley-type tobacco and Native–type tobacco is expected to reach up to P100 per kilogram, which is higher than the approved P81.00 floor price, Mr. Lazaro said.
Considering the increasing trend in the actual buying price of tobacco, NTA Administrator Belinda S. Sanchez said “tobacco farmers will earn a lucrative income this season.”
“The tobacco buying price increase reflects market demand and crop quality as well as the presence of good weather and the increase of floor prices,” she said. “The more income the farmers earn will boost their purchasing power to buy their foods and other basic needs in their household.”
The trading for flue-cured Virginia tobacco started last February and is expected to run until June this year.
Tobacco traders such as Universal Leaf Philippines, Inc (ULPI), Trans Manila Incorporated (TMI), and ConLeaf have opened buying stations in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Abra.
Aside from the tobacco traders, there are also NTA-accredited field canvassers, who are reaching out to farmers to buy their produce.
For the air-cured Burley and Native tobacco leaves, trading operations of NTA-accredited field canvassers started on the last week of March and will end on July in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Pangasinan, Isabela, and Cagayan.
The NTA is committed “to supervising and managing the implementation of farming technologies and capability enhancement of the farmers for the production of high-quality tobacco leaves,” said Ms. Sanchez. — Artemio A. Dumlao