Tobacco harvest recovers to over 45 M kilos in 2024

The country's tobacco output recovered to over 45 million kilos last year as farmers were encouraged to produce more due to favorable buying prices driven by growing demand for the commodity abroad.

- By JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) said tobacco harvest last year reached 45.04 million kilos, about 7.5 percent higher than 42.29 million kilos recorded output in 2023.

NTA data showed that both the number of tobacco farmers and the total area planted with the crop last year increased on an annual basis. Tobacco hectarage last year reached 25,656 hectares, 3.4 percent higher than the 24,809 hectares recorded in 2023.

Meanwhile, the number of tobacco farmers last year rose by almost six percent to 43,098 from 40,786 in 2022, according to the NTA.