Non government agency overwhelmed on Mighty Corp's initiative for farmers

Mighty Corp, a Bulacan based tobacco manufacturer in the country has been vocal to their initiative to help tobacco farmers. The National Tobacco Administration chief Edgardo Zaragoza welcomed the assistance provided to tobacco farmers to the company. “The more players dealing directly with the farmers, the better and merrier. This is a big boost to the tobacco industry,” Zaragoza said.

He said that Mighty's CSR programs will increase the assistance provided to farmers and their families and “we hope this would encourage other cigarette industry players to do the same.”

Meanwhile, Mighty Corp decided to buy 10 million kilograms of tobacco leaves, one fifth of the industry’s total production. It has also provided 100 scholarships to high school graduate  children of  tobacco farmers.
Zaragoza said the NTA was working on the implementing rules for the excise taxes on cigarettes “to ensure that the taxes will directly benefit tobacco farmers.”

“In 2003, excise tax collection from tobacco increasaed by almost P35 billion. From P32 billion in 2012, it became P67 billion in 2013,” Zaragoza said.