$48m worth of raw tobacco exported

Philip Morris exports $48 million in raw tobacco over five years through sustainability efforts.

ISLAMABAD:

Philip Morris Pakistan Limited (PMPKL) has announced that it has exported raw tobacco worth $48 million over the past five years, driven by the sustainability initiatives.

In the first six months of 2024 alone, PMPKL exported over $15.8 million worth of tobacco to various countries, surpassing last year's total exports of $13.9 million.

During a recent visit of a group of journalists to PMPKL's Green Leaf Threshing (GLT) facility in Mardan, company officials highlighted the commitment to not only producing high-quality cigarettes but also significantly increasing raw tobacco exports.

"PMPKL has integrated sustainable practices into its operations in Pakistan, focusing on crop diversification, social sustainability, and environmental stewardship," said PMPKL Head of Leaf Abid Javed.

As part of its crop diversification initiative, the company said that it had introduced mechanisation in tobacco farming. This includes the deployment of 30 tractor-pulled transplanters, 1,675 suckericide applicators and 116 inter-cultivators.

Additionally, 625 farmers have received training in mushroom farming, producing 14,413 kg of mushrooms and increasing their incomes by Rs11,691 per farmer.

Kitchen gardening programmes have benefitted 3,719 farmers, who received vegetable seed packages that boosted their incomes by Rs23,633.