The reason for the farmers’ happy mood nowadays is the unprecedented increase in the prices of Virginia tobacco.

Farmer-leader Carlos Cachola said that the tobacco famers are earning much more in this trading season than in the previous ones.

Cachola, who is president of the Philippine Association of Tobacco-Based Cooperatives (PATCO), said that grade "AA" Virginia leaf of the full-flavor type is selling at R68 a kilo, and R65 for neutral flavor.

He said that it’s just the start of trading season, he expects the prices to increase further as trading goes on.

Records of the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) showed that as of March 18, the prevailing prices of the other Virginia grades similarly increased. "A" is being bought for as much as R67 per kilo (full flavor) and R63 (neutral flavor).

"B" gets R67 per kilo (full flavor), and for neutral flavor "B," it ranges from R57 (in Abra and Candon) to R62 (in Vigan).

"C" is also R67 for full flavor, and the neutral-flavor C leaf is being purchased from R55 to R60.

"D" commands a price of R62 for full flavor and from R53 (in Ilocos Norte) to R58 (in Vigan) for neutral flavor.

But the biggest gainer is the "R" type which is being sold at R36.51 a kilo, which is R13 hihger than the floor price of R23.

For burley, its top grades A and B are being bought at almost R10 more than their floor prices, NTA’s Pangasinan trading records showed.

Average selling prices of Virginia tobacco last year were R60.11 a kilo for "AA", R56.34 for A, R58.54 for B, R58.84 for C, and R24.18 for R.

NTA Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion, who steered the tobacco tripartite conferences last October and December, lauded the participation of Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor Savellano and deputy House Speaker Eric Singson in the tripartite conference on Virginia tobacco.

He cited the dynamism of the two officials that resulted in an increase in Virginia floor prices from those of the last two years by R10 a kilo for the top grade and R9.50 a kilo for the subsequent grades.

Singson, assisted by Savellano, persuaded the tobacco traders and cigarette manufacturing executives into agreeing with the R10 and R9.50 increase.

Encarnacion said that the much improved quality of this year’s production is also attributed to the current high prices of tobacco.

Dr. Robert Bonoan, NTA deputy administrator for operations, credited NTA fieldmen for the improved quality of the tobacco crop, saying they exerted "great efforts" in making sure that the farmers used the agency’s farming technology.