Benguet Farmers Train on Growing Tobacco

Source from:  sunstar.com.ph Tuesday, April 18, 2006 04/18/2006

FARMERS in the tobacco-growing provinces of Northern Luzon expect a turn for the better this year, following the assistance provided by Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (PMPMI) to their families and communities. From La Union in the western seaboard of the island to the coastline of Isabela in the east, PMPMI has put up a number of projects that aim to alleviate their living conditions as well as improve the quality of their harvests. An example of this is PMPMI's emergency relief assistance to farmers in Isabela, where heavy rains brought out by the La Niña phenomenon practically wiped out their entire harvest this season. Aside from the relief goods that consisted of dried goods, PMPMI Managing Director Chris Nelson assured farmers that the company will buy all the crop harvests of the tobacco farmers in the next planting season as long as they meet international quality standards. "Farmers in these areas have basically lost their only means of income or sustenance for the next five to seven months," Nelson said. "This is clearly a disaster for us but even more to the farmers and their families whom we have worked and assisted for more than 20 years." The PMPMI allocated P4.1 million in relief and rehabilitation assistance to all the affected tobacco farmers. This is aside from the assistance they are currently getting from tobacco leaf supplier Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. in terms of making the farmers' land productive again. "In times of disasters or calamities, Philip Morris is even more committed to help the farmers. We hope that through our contribution, we will be able to help the farmers and their families get back on their feet and be able to resume their tobacco growing livelihood in the next crop season," Nelson said. "We are committed to improve the lives of communities where we operate and do business. The tobacco growing company is very much our partner and a very important stakeholder in the Philippine tobacco industry," he added. PMPMI has been helping thousands of farmers in Northern Luzon - from the establishment of shallow tube wells for irrigation to the setting up of livelihood programs to augment their incomes to the creation of the country's first tobacco training school. The school, for instance, gives free education to farmers who want to learn good agriculture practices while protecting the environment. Farmers also learned about the Tobacco Identity Preservation Program (TIPP) - a system involving the sampling of tobacco from seed to leaf to determine the quality of the crop. "The training center is PMPMI's commitment to the production of quality tobacco," Nelson said. "We will continue to assist communities where we live and work, and we will continue to play our role as a responsible cigarette manufacturer to address some of their needs in a meaningful and sustainable way." Nelson said the training school is situated in an area favorable for growing tobacco. Located 4,000 feet above sea level, farmers in barangay Tubaan Norte, Tuba, Benguet were taught on the rudiments of tobacco farming inside a public elementary school building that was refurbished through the help of PMPMI and TMI. There, the farmers are learning the basics of tobacco planting inside a spacious concrete building, complete with tables, chairs, blackboards, electric fans, an audio system, a kitchen as well as a field laboratory and a curing barn. "It's a school near the clouds," said TMI general manager Matthew Diong. At least 50 farmers have signed up for the training in 2005. In 2004, about the same number of farmers enrolled for the six-month training. "They really want to grow tobacco as an alternative crop," Diong said. Farmers in Benguet are now shifting to other means of livelihood because of the dwindling prices of their crops such as carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, pechay (bok choi), cabbage, and string beans. Benedict Lumauig, deputy administration of the National Tobacco Administration, said they cannot blame the farmers for choosing to plant tobacco because the leaf fetches better prices in the local market. Virginia tobacco harvested in Benguet appears to be better in quality compared to those grown in the lowland because of suitable soil and climate conditions. The PMPMI said good agriculture such as soil and water management, correct use of pesticides and fertilizers, and awareness of the farmers on health and safety issues, also contributed to a robust crop. Aside from planting tobacco, the farmers learned to build low cost curing barns. About 200 of these barns will soon be built across Northern Luzon, using old cartons and drums that were contributed by PMPMI. The contribution came after TMI discovered that the old cartons were more economical to use compared to hollow blocks and galvanized iron sheets, which are the preferred materials of the farmers when the construct their curing barns. TMI, which has been supplying PMPMI with quality Virginia tobacco, also found out that the old cartons could keep more heat compared to other materials. "With these cartons, construction costs could go down by as much as 30 percent, while fuel costs could drop by 20 percent," TMI said. The curing process plays a major role in final leaf quality, and the skill of the farmer is crucial to bringing out different tobacco's characteristic tastes. Virginia tobacco is cured in a process called "flue curing". The tobacco is hung in specialized curing barns where heated air removes water from the leaves. This process takes up to a week, during which time the temperature must be constantly monitored and gradually increased. Too much heat or cold at any stage of the process will have a negative impact on quality. Once cured, the tobacco leaves are sorted by the farmer according to stalk position and leaf characteristics, packed into bales and delivered to an auction floor or receiving centre where leaf buyers, like TMI, carefully judge the quality