JTIP opens its new BGC head office. At the events are (from left) NTA administrator Belinda Sanchez, JTI Philippines GM John Freda, Japan Ambassador to Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko, JT Group president and CEO Masamichi Terabatake, PEZA director general Tereso Panga and JTI APAC regional president Yves Barbier.
Photograph courtesy of JTI
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The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) announced that tobacco trading is still in full operation across the country despite PAGASA’s formal declaration of the start of the rainy season last week.
Dr. Giovanni B. Palabay, the manager of the NTA — La Union, said the trading centers for flue-cured Virginia tobacco in Ilocos is open until 30 June.
However, if there are still available Virginia tobacco produced by the farmers beyond 30 June, according to Palabay, the NTA can make a request for accommodation by the trading centers.
He said the highest buying price offered by the trading centers to the farmers could still reach up to P130.00 per kilo depending on the quality of the flue-cured Virginia tobacco leaves.
Ilocos trading centers
The tobacco trading centers open in the Ilocos provinces include Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. (ULPI), Trans Manila, Inc. (TMI), and Continental Leaf Tobacco Philippines Inc. (Conleaf).
Meanwhile, trading operations for burley and native tobacco in Regions 1,2, 3 and CAR will end on August 31, 2025. The reported highest buying price for burley tobacco per kilo is P118.00 while the native — Batek tobacco is P175. 00 per kilo.
Aside from ULPI, the other buying companies of burley and native tobacco are Pentaleaf in the Cagayan Valley region, Antonio and Josefina Trading Center (A&J TC), and John Medriano Trading Center (JMTC) in La Union.
The farmers in Mindanao sell their native — Batek tobacco products at the local “Tabo Market.”
As of 4 June 2025, the total of registered tobacco farmers in the country is 59, 242 planting 32,503 hectares of tobacco.
For her part, NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez expected that the farmers would earn more income this cropping season because of the high buying prices of tobacco.
The reported buying prices of tobacco at the trading centers are higher than the tobacco floor prices.
The latest approved tobacco floor prices of classes of all types of tobacco for this season are as follows: For flue-cured Virginia tobacco: Class AA-P97; A-P96; B-P95; C-P93; D-P85; E-P84; F1-P75; F2-72 and R-P61. For Burley tobacco: Class A-P81; B-P78; C-P69; D-P58; E-P57; F-P49; and R-P39. For Native tobacco: High Grade-P81; Medium 1-P70; Medium2-P60; Low 1-P50; and Low 2-P38.
The tobacco floor prices are taken — up every two years through a tripartite forum between and among the farmers, traders, and tobacco manufacturers to ensure the stable price of the crop. The NTA facilitated the biennial tripartite conference.
As mandated by Presidential Decree (PD) No. 627 s. 1974, PD No. 1481 s. 1974 (for Virginia), and PD No. 1143 s. 1977 as amended (for Burley), NTA is authorized to set/fix tobacco floor prices by adopting a tripartite consultative conference, through its Regulation Department as the lead department.
