28th of October, Tobacco Growers Day – The pandemic made it impossible to celebrate the usual event to commemorate the Tobacco Growers’ Day, but the International Tobacco Growers’ Association – ITGA, held an online event on Wednesday, October 28, paying homage to the tobacco farmers, jointly with several spokespersons linked to the supply chain. With its focus on the theme together we will grow more”, the homage to the tobacco farmers included voices from all continents. Tobacco farmers from Colombia, Argentina, USA, Bulgaria, Malawi, Mozambique, among others, dwelt on the importance of tobacco farming for their lives.
Antonio Abrunhosa, Chief Executive Officer of ITGA, greeted the farmers and commented on the impact from the pandemic. “We live in a globalized world and tobacco plays an important role, especially in a year engulfed by so many challenges. The pandemic has shown us that nothing is impossible. Thousands of lives and jobs were lost and tobacco proved to be more resilient than other crops, keeping the jobs and the income of our farmers and attesting, once again, to its crucial relevance for the subsistence and prosperity of our families”, Abrunhosa said.
SindiTabaco president and president of the Growing Up Right Institute Iro Schünke took part in a program based on a video deposition. He greeted the ITGA for conducting the event and the Tobacco Growers’ Association of Brazil (Afubra), entity that represents the tobacco farmers in Brazil
“It’s only fair that we pay such homage to the tobacco farmers all over the world. Brazil is the second largest producer, the leading exporter for 27 years now, where the farmers are the pillar of the sector, a strong link of this supply chain. The farmers, in compliance with well applied management practices, have turned Brazil into a reference in sustainable production, supplying the international clients a product of high quality and integrity. As the son of a tobacco farmer, I would like to express my sincere and warm greetings to all the tobacco growers in the world and tell them that they should feel honored in being a part of this important supply chain that has contributed a lot towards the development of the communities where the crop is cultivated. Together, producers and companies, let us continue advocating for the defense of this important supply chain”, Schünke said in his testimony.
Another participant from Brazil was the president of Afubra, Benício Werner. Latest survey of the entity demonstrated that tobacco is cultivated in 544 municipalities and the 2019/2020 crop brought in revenue of almost R$ 6 billion to the 146,430 Brazilian tobacco growing families.
TOBACCO GROWERS DAY – In Brazil, the date was instituted by the Legislative Assemblies of Rio Grande do Sul (Law 14.208, of March/2013, put forward by state deputy Heitor Schuch); Santa Catarina (Law 16.114, of September/2013, suggested by state deputy Mauro de Nadal); and in Paraná (Law 17.729, of 2013, put forward by state deputy Anibelli Neto.
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