Early planting of tobacco urged

Three big tobacco-buying firms batted for early planting of the crop during a conference organized to come up with a common farming technology to improve leaf production. 

This was learned from Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion of the National Tobacco Administration who organized the conference that was held at the NTA central office in Quezon City recently. 

Representatives of Anglo-American Tobacco Corp.(AATC), Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. (ULPI), and Trans-Manila Inc.(TMI) urged farmers to plant tobacco not later than Nov. 30. Chiefly grown in the Ilocos provinces are virginia, burley and native types of tobacco. 

Their presentations included a seed-sowing schedule for virgina with ULPI and TMI telling farmers that it should be done not later than Oct. 5 while AATC opted for an Oct. 15 deadline. 

The three companies recommended  a heavy  application of  commercial fertilizer ranging from 57 to 88 kg. NPK (nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium) per hectare raising concern among NTA agronomists. 

Dr. Robert Bonoan, manager of NTA’s farm development department, told The STAR he will recommend a 25-percent reduction from the tobacco firms’ fertilizer volume proposals. 

He said that apart from being costly to the farmers, commercial fertilizer has been damaging organic matter in the soil. 

He said he would push for the use of organic fertilizer in tandem with a reduced rate of commercial fertilizer  to give relief to the soil. 

Top cigarette makers Fortune Tobacco Corp., Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. and La Suerte, and other tobacco companies sent representatives but opted not to publicly present their technologies, it was learned. 

Bonoan said in a future meeting, he will sit down with them and present the NTA’s own package of technology. – Teddy Molina