Tobacco eyed as fish feed, organic pesticide

MANILA, Philippines - From human consumption, tobacco would soon find its way to fishponds as fish feed and organic pesticide to provide alternative livelihood to tobacco farmers affected by the worldwide anti-smoking campaign.

Carlitos Encarnacion, chairman of the National Tobacco Authority (NTA), recently told the Balitaan sa Hotel Rembrandt forum that the government has come up with alternative tobacco-based products such as tobacco dust and tobacco pulp for paper.

He said research showed that tobacco dust could be used as organic fertilizer for fishponds, as it would also promote the growth of algae, the main food source of fresh and saltwater fish and other marine animals.

Encarnacion said tobacco dust, which is produced from scrap tobacco leaves, neutralizes chemical-based pesticides that often affect the quality of harvest of fishpond owners.

He said because of their high chemical content, fish and other aquatic products are rejected in the world market. 

The NTA, according to Encarnacion, is targeting the production of at least 10 million tons of tobacco dust to be supplied to fishpond owners in Luzon.

Aside from tobacco dust, the agency is developing a new product, the tobacco pulp, which will be used in the manufacture of paper.

Tobacco pulp is produced from tobacco stem left wasted in the field after the harvest season.

Encarnacion said the global anti-tobacco campaign has triggered a shortage of tobacco products in some countries getting their supply from the Philippines.

“Because of the strong anti-smoking campaign other countries have to stop the subsidy to tobacco farming, triggering a shortage of tobacco products in the market,” he said.