TOBACCO FARMERS SUFFER HEAVY LOSSES DUE TO ILLEGAL CIGARETTES

Tobacco farmers in the Philippines are projected to lose nearly P1 billion in 2025 due to the continued influx of smuggled cigarettes, according to the Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA).

The group estimates that about 11.8 billion sticks of illegal cigarettes will be sold this year, equivalent to 9.4 million kilos of tobacco that could have come from local farms.

PTGA president Saturnino Distor said the losses threaten farmers’ livelihoods, affecting their ability to provide for families and maintain farms.

The cheaper prices of smuggled cigarettes, sometimes as low as P2 per stick, not only undercut legitimate products but also hurt the government, which loses around P40 billion annually in taxes.

The association also criticized the lack of arrests or prosecutions under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, warning that unchecked smuggling continues to harm both farmers and the wider economy.

Source: PhilNews24 | October 25, 2025