Latest news with #NationalTobaccoAdministration
GMA Network
29-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
New tobacco landing area opened in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental
The local government of El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental has inaugurated a new tobacco landing area located at the city proper to provide better access for local buyers. According to the City Agriculture Office (CAO), the project is part of the excise tax collection from tobacco in 2024, which amounted to more than P80 million. The local government is planning to increase its excise tax collection this year. 'Matagaan ug saktong higayon atong mga farmers nga diri gyud mismo sa dakbayan and whatever will be the proceeds diri pud ma-credit ang sales kay that is one area nga atong National Tobacco Administration ma recognize niya ang total production and sales sa El Salvador,' Councilor Agustin Noriel Gabule, chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, said. El Salvador City is the second-largest tobacco-producing area in Misamis Oriental, making the support for local tobacco farmers a key agricultural initiative. CAO is studying a schedule for selling tobacco products to prevent overlap with nearby towns. 'Every week naa gyud na siyay schedule at least once. But gi discuss pa ang guidelines para ma plastar nga dili ma bintahan ang ubang tambakan area dili magdungan para matagaan ug enough time ang mga buyers kay most probably the same buyers na sila,' Gabule added. (We will definitely have a schedule at least once every week. But the guidelines are still being discussed to ensure that other dump areas are not sold at the same time to give the buyers enough time because they are most likely the same buyers.) CAO is also preparing for an influx of tobacco buyers with the harvest season approaching. So far, nearly 1,000 tobacco farmers have been profiled by CAO. — James Paolo Yap, GMA Regional TV News
GMA Network
14-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Tobacco trading in full ops despite rainy season —NTA
The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) on Saturday said tobacco trading is still in full operation across the country despite state weather bureau PAGASA's declaration of the start of the rainy season last week. In a new release, NTA said trading centers for flue-cured Virginia tobacco in Ilocos are open until June 30. However, if there are still available Virginia tobacco produced by the farmers beyond June 30, the NTA can make a request for accommodation by the trading centers. The highest buying price offered by the trading centers to the farmers could still reach up to P130.00 per kilo, depending on the quality of the flue-cured Virginia tobacco leaves. The tobacco trading centers that are open in the Ilocos provinces are Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. (ULPI), Trans Manila Inc. (TMI), and Continental Leaf Tobacco Philippines Inc. (Conleaf), according to NTA. Meanwhile, trading operations for burley and native tobacco in Regions 1, 1,2, 3, and CAR will end on August 31, 2025. The reported highest buying price for burley tobacco per kilo is P118.00, while the native Batek tobacco is P175. 00 per kilo, the agency said. Aside from ULPI, the other buying companies of burley and native tobacco are Pentaleaf in the Cagayan Valley region, Antonio and Josefina Trading Center (A&J TC), and John Medriano Trading Center (JMTC) in La Union, NTA said. The agency said farmers in Mindanao sell their native – Batek tobacco products at the local 'Tabo Market.' As of June 4, 2025, the total number of registered tobacco farmers in the country is 59, 242 planting 32,503 hectares of tobacco, according to NTA. NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda Sanchez said that the farmers would earn more income this cropping season because of the high buying prices of tobacco. The reported buying prices of tobacco at the trading centers are higher than the tobacco floor prices, according to Sanchez. The latest approved tobacco floor prices of classes of all types of tobacco for this season are as follows: For flue-cured Virginia tobacco: Class AA – P97; A – P96; B – P95; C – P93; D – P85; E – P84; F1 – P75; F2 – 72 and R – P61 For Burley tobacco: Class A – P81; B – P78; C – P69; D – P58; E – P57; F – P49; and R – P39 For Native tobacco: High Grade – P81; Medium 1 – P70; Medium2 – P60; Low 1 –P50; and Low 2 – P38. The tobacco floor prices are adjusted every two years through a tripartite forum between and among the farmers, traders, and tobacco manufacturers to ensure the stable price of the crop. The NTA facilitated the biennial tripartite conference. As mandated by Presidential Decree (PD) No. 627 s. 1974, PD No. 1481 s. 1974 (for Virginia), and PD No. 1143 s. 1977 as amended (for Burley), NTA is authorized to set/fix tobacco floor prices by adopting a tripartite consultative conference, through its Regulation Department as the lead department. Tobacco is the only cash crop in the country that has approved floor prices and remains a steady source of income for thousands of Filipino families, providing livelihood opportunities and supporting rural economies, according to NTA. Currently, about 2.2 million Filipinos are financially dependent on tobacco, including more than 430,000 farmers, farmworkers, and their family members, it said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
