Tobacco Output in Philippines up in 2014

Source from:  Business Mirror 03/27/2015

Latest figures released by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country's leaf tobacco output rose by 14.3% to 61,420 MT in 2014, primarily attributed to financial and marketing assistance provided to the growers as well as attractive leaf prices.

Production of flue-cured Virginia rose by nearly 11% to 31,320 MT while output of other leaf varieties, primarily burley, increased by 35.5% to 19,930 MT. However, production of native tobacco declined by 5.9% year-year as farmers in the Provinces of Isabela and Ilocos Norte switched to other leaf varieties. In addition, scanty rainfall also prevented tobacco farmers in the Province of Misamis Oriental from planting the native variety. In 2014, the total area under tobacco cultivation rose by 4.7% year-year to 36,080 hectares, with Ilocos accounting for 65.2% of the tobacco crop, followed by Cagayan Valley with 26% and Mimaropa with 4.4% Enditem