The Native Batek Chewing tobacco varieties, Lampangog and Sinai, were approved for registration by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) during the 38th NSIC Technical Secretariat Meeting on November 18, 2021.
Prior to the approval, Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana, Acting Deputy Administrator for Operations and Chairman of the Tobacco Technical Working Group, presented to the participants the varieties for registration to NSIC.
The two varieties have been widely used in La Union and Pangasinan for many years. Their yield quantity (2.43 to 3.16 t/ha), and quality (70-75% high grades), and resistance to pests passed the evaluation trials in crop year 2018-19 and 2019-2020.
The evaluation trials were conducted by the research team from the Farm Technology and Services Department, Department Manager Imelda N. Riñen; Chief Science Research Specialist Nelly U. Castro, Science Research Specialist II, Benjamin P. Fiesta, Product Development Officer I Chareeze I. Tanaval and Research Assistant Raymart P. Guzman.
The trials were conducted from 2018 to 2020 in farmers’ fields in La Union and Pangasinan, and at FTSD experimental area.
The first Native Batek Chewing tobacco variety, Pimminya, was registered to NSIC in September 2020.
[Text: Christine E. Elveña]