NTA will convene the Tripartite Consultative Conference on September 25 and 26 at the NTA Central Office in Quezon City to decide new floor prices for tobacco for the next crop season.

The biennial tripartite conference brought together tobacco farmers and the tobacco firms (cigarette manufacturers, tobacco dealers, and exporters) to evaluate and negotiate the floor prices of unprocessed tobacco leaves.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, who met with the tobacco growers during the pre-tripartite consultative conference in Candon City last month, will be the guest of honor and keynote speaker in the opening program.

Also expected to deliver their messages to the industry stakeholders are top leaders of Ilocos Sur, the country's top-producing province: Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson, Deputy Speaker Deogracias Victor B. Savellano (1st District) and Kristine Singson-Meehan (2nd District).

The current floor price for the highest grade of each tobacco type is P82 per kilo for Virginia tobacco, P70 for burley, and P71 for the native variety.

Floor price is the minimum price allowed by the government for the procurement of tobacco buyers from the farmers. This is set based on the prevailing market conditions such as production cost, reasonable margin of profit for stakeholders and growing conditions.

The last tripartite conference was held on September 7, 2017.

Any adjustment of floor prices for this year's tripartite conference will be implemented during the tobacco trading years 2020 and 2021.