Philippine Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano urged tobacco-producing provinces in Northern Luzon to increase production for export, according to the Philippines News Agency. The request followed a meeting with the governing board of the National Tobacco Administration (NTA).
Savellano said that the NTA and farmers should boost tobacco production without sacrificing production of other crops, like rice, corn and other high-value crops.
If the Philippines increases tobacco for export, the country can engage in barter-to-barter with Indonesia, which produces low-cost rice and fertilizer.
In 2022, the Philippines exported 53 percent of tobacco produced while 47 percent was supplied to local tobacco manufacturers.
“Aside from our aim to increase our tobacco production for export, we are also looking at the other alternative products from tobacco and its commercialization, like the tobacco dust,” Savellano said.