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BARN CHECK In this photo taken in 2024, a farmer in Villasis, Pangasinan, inspects his barn at Barangay Amamperez to check the quality of tobacco leaves left there to dry. In this year’s trading season,Pangasinan is experiencing a supply glut of native tobacco, resulting in lower buying prices. —RAY ZAMBRANO
CALASIAO, PANGASINAN, Philippines — The market is now flooded with native tobacco variety, known as “batek,” but farmers in tobacco-producing areas in northern Luzon lament that overproduction has been driving prices down.
Dionisio Cariño, municipal agriculture officer of Villasis town, said traders stopped buying tobacco in February and March, but they started buying again last month.
Prices, however, dropped from P120 to P140 per kilo to P70 to P80 per kilo, depending on buyers’ classification of the leaves.
