Tobacco prices allowed to adjust higher at last year’s tripartite consultative conference have bred optimism among farmers in the Ilocos region of better prices for the crop this year, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) said on Monday.
According to the NTA, tobacco trading is in full swing in the region with the opening of trade centers in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union which are all Virginia tobacco-producing provinces.
Tobacco farmers in the region can look forward to better income at the current and at next year’s crops with the adoption of adjusted prices of tobacco products in the country.
In October, NTA administrator Belinda Sanchez and farmer representatives, tobacco growers and stakeholders agreed to raise the buying price of the crop from P3.90 to P9.90 per kilogram.
At the biennial tripartite consultative conference last year, flu-cured class AA Virginia tobacco was raised to P97 and P96 for class A; P95 for class B; P93 for class C; P85 for class D; P84 for class E; P75 for class F1; P72 for class F2; and P61 for class R.
Burley tobacco was set at P81 per kilo for class A; P78 for class B; P69 for class C; P58 for class D; P57 for class E; P49 for class F; and P39 for class R.
Native tobacco was set at P81 for high grade; P70 for medium 1; P60 for medium 2; P50 for low grade 1; and P38 for low grade 2.
The NTA said tobacco prices in actual trading tend to be higher than that set by convention.
