Local tobacco farmers could lose as much as ₱978.44 million in income this year as government enforcement continues to lag behind the rampant spread of smuggled cigarettes, according to estimates of the Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA).
PTGA expects around 11.8 billion sticks of illegal cigarettes to flood the market this year, equivalent to 9.4 million kilos of tobacco that could have otherwise come from local farms.
At an average farmgate price of ₱104.0
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