煙草在線據馬尼拉公報報道編譯　　盡管面臨更高稅收的威脅，卷煙制造商菲莫福川公司正在菲律賓尋求其他它可以對煙草種植進行投資的地點。

　　菲莫福川總裁克里斯·尼爾森說，公司正在尋找他們在12個月內能持續種植煙草而且不容易受到臺風襲擊的地方。

　　“我們正在努力改善我們的產品質量，我們實際上想看看我們是否能連續種植煙草，我們試著尋找受天氣影響不大的不同地區，”尼爾森對記者說。

　　他說，目前，農民們只在9月到10月種植煙草，而在下一年的3月份準備收獲。

　　但尼爾森還說，地區的土壤條件仍是菲莫福川投資之前要考慮的一個主要因素。

　　煙草通常種植在伊羅科斯地區，不過，尼爾森表示，該省經常遭到臺風襲擊，結果產量很低。去年，煙草的總產量為7900萬公斤。

　　“這個想法是找到我們可以連續生產的地方，如果證明成功的話，我們將擴大我們的業務，我們當然也需要從農民手中得到煙葉，”尼爾森解釋道。

　　他說，菲莫福川把薄荷島看作是另一個可能種植煙草的地方，同時正在對卡加延德奧羅省和民都洛島進行測試。

　　在菲莫公司與福川煙草公司合并后，菲莫福川至少擁有90%的菲律賓煙草業市場份額。其品牌有萬寶路、菲莫、財富、冠軍和老板卷煙。

　　目前，該國約270萬人在煙草業就業。然而，該行業，受到稅務局的壓力，稅務局一直在在國會推動一項提高消費稅稅率的法案。

　　盡管面臨這種威脅，尼爾森表示，菲莫福川將繼續在菲律賓做生意。

　　“我們不會離開這個國家的，就像我以前所說的我們自1955年以來就一直在這里。我認為自1955年以來我們看到發生了很多變化，當然我們承諾留在這里，”尼爾森說。

　　但他也警告說，提議的措施將會對公司在菲律賓的未來投資發出“非常糟糕的信號”。

PMFTC To Pursue Expansion Plans

　　MANILA, Philippines - Despite a threat of higher taxes, cigarette-maker PMFTC Incorporated is looking for other locations within the Philippines where it can invest in tobacco growing.

　　Chris Nelson, PMFTC president said that the company is looking for locations where they can continuously grow tobacco in a period of 12 months and are not prone to typhoons.

　　"We're trying to improve the quality our product, we're actually trying to see if we can grow tobacco on a continuous basis and we're trying to look at different areas which are less affected by the weather," Nelson told reporters.

　　He said that at present, farmers can only plant tobacco from September to October and it will be ready for harvest in March next year.

　　But Nelson also said that area's soil condition is still a primary consideration before PMFTC will invest.

　　Tobacco usually grows in the Locos region, however, Nelson said province is frequently hit by typhoons that results to small production output. Last year, total market for tobacco reached 79 million kilos.

　　"The idea is to find places where we can have continuous production, and if that proves successful, we'll expand our business because also of course we need to get from the farmers," Nelson explained.

　　He said PMFTC is looking at Bohol as another possible location for tobacco growing while there is an ongoing testing happening in the provinces of Cagayan de Oro and Mindoro.

　　PMFTC accounts for at least 90 percent of the Philippine tobacco industry after Philip Morris combined with Fortune Tobacco. Its brands include Marlboro and Philip Morris, Fortune, Champion and Boss cigarettes.

　　At present, some 2.7 million of the country's population derive employment from the tobacco industry. The industry, however, is under pressure from tax authorities, who have been pushing a bill in Congress to raise excise tax rates.

　　Despite the threat, Nelson said PMFTC will continue to do business in the Philippines.

　　"We wouldn't move out of the country, as I've said we've been here since 1955. I think that we've seen a lot of changes since 1955, and we're committed to be here of course," Nelson said.

　　But he also warned that the proposed measure will send a "very bad signal" on the company's future investments in the Philippines.