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Arlyn Corpuz Vega: treasurer of The National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Association and Cooperatives (NAFTAC)
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Maribel Agtarap: a farmer and homemaker from Quirino, Isabela, Philippines
With the appointment of Mercedes Vázquez as the c.e.o. of ITGA in late 2021, the organization brought to the spotlight the role of women in tobacco. In 2022, a major ITGA initiative was carried out showcasing experiences of women growers in markets around the world. In depth interviews were conducted with around 30 women in countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Notably, there were also two representatives from the Philippines. The following extracts feature important insights coming from these exchanges, high-lighting challenges, opportunities and much more:
How long has tobacco been part of your life?
I was 16 years old, still single, when I got involved in tobacco. My older brother was producing as well, but I really began after I got married. My father-in-law gave us a hectare as a wedding gift and that started our journey in tobacco production.
How has tobacco contributed to your life?
I remember one time when we just started producing tobacco. Our leaves got rained out after we had them harvested and they got rotten. I was so dismayed that I persuaded my husband to plant corn instead, which he did. I will never forget what my father-in-law told me after we harvested the corn, he said, “You will never be able to send your children to college if you continue to plant corn instead of tobacco.” From there on we intensified our tobacco production and saw the benefits.
Do you feel that there are real opportunities in this sector?
There are a lot of opportunities in tobacco production, however, the big ones come when you are industrious. Fortune comes with the work of your hands. Tobacco production became our bread and butter, the major source of our income which enabled us to build our house where we live comfortably, we were able to send our daughter to college, acquire more land, and buy a vehicle.
What are the main challenges that women in tobacco are facing in your market?
The labor requirement of tobacco production is very challenging, and it is backbreaking particularly curing, but when labor requirement intensifies, I sustain myself by providing a lot of food for me and to our workers.
What is the role of women in the decision-making processes in the tobacco sector in your country?
The man decides most of the farm operations, but women decide on logistics and in post-curing activities. I decide whom to hire for farm labor and what food to prepare for workers. I also decide how tobacco should be prepared before I bring them to the buying station.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to attracting women into tobacco?
There are no barriers in tobacco production among women in my country. We look at the work in the tobacco farms as an opportunity to help each other as husband and wife, and as members of the society (locally known as “Bayanihan”).
What tools/trainings would you like to see being made available in order to advance your skills?
Training in leaf classification, income analysis, talking in public so I can tell other women about the benefits and opportunities I get from tobacco production.
How have you built confidence/or resiliency over the course in your career?
The inspiration from my husband and daughter, the help from my buyer firm and field technician, the continuing trust that NTA is giving, support from the local government unit and my co-farmers and belief in our Lord Almighty builds my confidence and makes me resilient.
How can women support other women in their respective organizations?
Women involved in tobacco production should be able to talk about how lucrative the income is compared to other crops. They should also be taught how to properly manage work and family responsibilities.
What initiative would you like to be seen to improve women’s role in the industry/sector?
Gender equality should be exercised. Women should be recognized for their contribution in the industry. Organizing and training them to improve their skill and provide a venue for self-expression.
What advice would you give to young women entering the industry/your profession?
Tobacco production is always a challenge. We hurdle with climate and occurrences of pest and diseases. However, these could be overcome by providing tender love and care to the plants and to the environment together with the workers. These I think are the best advice to young women planning to join the tobacco industry.
How long has tobacco been part of your life?
Since I was diagnosed with myoma, my husband and I discussed the idea of farming as our livelihood and to which we agreed. His late grandfather taught him how to farm and he shared this knowledge with me. In 2009, we started to cultivate rice on a 1 ½ hectare land. In the succeeding years, we tried to plant other crops like vegetables, tomatoes, and especially tobacco. After 13 years of farming, we can say that through farming, we made significant changes in our lives. We started farming on a 1½ hectare of land; now we are planting different crops on almost seven hectares of land.
Describe the range of activities you are taking part in at the moment. Can you please walk us through a typical day of work for you?
I tend the field. I keep the crops weed-free, and I also apply fertilizer. Sometimes, I also transplant and top the tobacco. A typical day for me would be waking up at 3 AM to prepare breakfast, then we eat and wash the dishes. Around 5 AM we will go to the field and be there till 9:30 AM tending to our crops. Afterward, we’d go home for lunch and rest for a few hours then go back to the field in the late afternoon to watch over the crops.
What are the main challenges that women in tobacco are facing in your market?
From my experience, the challenge is prioritizing time. In the Philippines, women are sometimes expected to also do household tasks like laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc on top of their jobs. At first, it was hard for me to do work in the field and at the same accomplish household tasks. There are times when I was too tired to clean the house or do laundry, but still, I must do them. To solve this problem, I divided my day into two. Mornings for farm work and afternoons for household chores.
What is the role of women in the decision-making processes in the tobacco sector in your country?
Women on our farm usually act as checkers or graders during decision-making processes. Since we value cooperation on our farm, my husband includes me in the loop whenever there are issues or problems. Before we finalize any decisions, my husband and I would discuss them and brainstorm our ideas. Once a solution is found, I would review them again to make sure it is correct and apt.
What do you think is the most significant barrier to attracting women to tobacco?
In my opinion, it is the physical labor that farming requires. Some tasks on the farm need the help of men. We must admit that in terms of strength, men sometimes are physically stronger than women. To add to that, based on my observation, women have generally weaker immune systems than men. Since we have to work in the field, we will be exposed to a lot of weather and climate changes like sudden rain or intense heat and having a strong immune response against these adverse events is important.
What tools/trainings would you like to see being made available to advance your skills?
More seminars on farming technology. This would help us create more efficient procedures and future-proof our farmlands. Additional knowledge of new farming techniques and machinery can help us, farmers, improve our yield.
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
It is more of having a proactive role in taking the lead in farm tasks instead of having someone else do the spraying of crops, I do them myself because I am more confident with my technique. Besides this, my fellow women farmers in the field inspired me to do more. There are times when they’d ask for the keys to drive tractors or farm machinery and prepare the land themselves. Moreover, the respect of my co-farmers in the field whenever I assign a task to them gives me a sense of responsibility to take care of them.
How can women support other women in their respective organizations?
Collective action. Strength in numbers. If women stick together, our voices will be heard. Unity can create an impact on policy creation that would be inclusive of our needs and rights.
What initiative you would like to be seen to improve women’s role in the industry/sector?
More opportunities for knowledge building for women in agriculture. Out in the field, women are taught informally by older farmers on their farming techniques. Hopefully, the industry or sector can formalize training, seminars, workshops, and activities for operating farm machinery and basic agriculture knowledge for women. This way, we can show that women can also do what men can do.
What advice would you give to young women entering the industry/your profession?
Do not feel as if we, women, are not fit for farm work. You need to have patience. Because like in farming, we must wait for the right time to harvest the fruits of our labor. Partner this patience with hard work.