US firm shows interest in NTA’s tobacco project

VIGAN CITY – Another foreign company has expressed interest on the National Tobacco Administration’s pulp and paper production project which uses tobacco stalks as raw materials.

The French company, Schweitzer-Mauduit International Inc., recently made known its desire for the local pulp and paper activity through a letter sent to the agency.

Stephen J. de Lyra, manager for tobacco products-Europe of the Le Mans France-based company, wrote NTA Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion that his firm was "interested in evaluating pulp made from tobacco stalks."

"If you believe this is something which could be done in your country, please let me know," he added.

This developed as Hiracell Scientifique Inc. of Quebec, Canada which was the first foreign firm drawn by the project submitted the details of its proposal to establish a pulp and paper mill in the Philippines.

It plans to bring in specialists from abroad to train all mill crews until they are proficient and finance the feasibility study as well as the pulp and paper tests and quality evaluation.

Hiracell president Atmaram Kane came to the Philippines early this year and, after visiting NTA’s research and development undertakings in Batac, Ilocos Norte, had announced the prospect of his company’s joining the NTA project.

Encarnacion said his agency’s thrust on the other uses of tobacco is guided by the call of President Arroyo and Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor for programs to augment the income of the country’s farmers.

The tobacco stalks, discarded and laid to waste after harvest, will bring additional money to the farmers once paper mills of interested companies are set up, it was learned.

A New York pharmaceutical company, Phytomedics, Inc., had also taken interest in NTA’s exploration of medical uses of the tobacco plant saying it wanted to work with NTA on the plant’s qualities against neuro and brain illnesses citing Alzheimer and Parkinson’s diseases as their focus.