Remarkable Growth in Philippine Tobacco Production

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 07/29/2011

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) expects the Philippine tobacco industry to sustain growth until 2015, reports The Manila Times. NTA administrator Edgardo Zaragoza said the tobacco production has increased by an average of 20 percent in the past eight years. Philippine tobacco farmers are expected to harvest 77 million kg this season, compared with 73.75 million kg in crop year 2009-2010. The figure is expected to increase to 80 million kg in the next cropping season. "Even five years ago, with the onset of typhoons and weather disturbances, we thought that the tobacco industry is already a sunset industry. It is also ironic because despite regulations in the U.S. and Europe, it appears there is still growing demand for tobacco," Zaragoza said. Tobacco farmers contributed more than PHP34 billion in taxes to the government, while tobacco traders and cigarette manufacturers contributed to about 4 percent of the government's tax revenues, according to NTA. More than 50 percent of Philippine tobacco production is exported, and the figure will continue to increase in the next five years, said Zaragoza. Enditem