MADRID, 13 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Interprofessional Tobacco Organization in Spain (Oitab), made up of tobacco leaf farmers and the first processing industry, demands that the Government, through a manifesto in defense of the entire tobacco sector, assess the social and economic consequences that They can be derived from the Comprehensive Tobacco Plan that has been launched, as reported in a statement.

Specifically, the interprofessional has recalled that this sector contributes 3.3 billion euros to the Spanish GDP and has more than 53,000 jobs, being the fifth largest contributor to the public coffers in Spain.

The president of the Oitab, Felipe Castañar, has stressed that the "fight against smoking and the sustainability of tobacco cultivation in Spain are compatible objectives." "For this reason, the new Comprehensive Tobacco Plan must be born from the consensus of all relevant parties, including the cultivation sector, and at the same time it is essential that the economic and social consequences that the measures contemplated in the PIT may have be evaluated. on a key sector such as the cultivation and first processing of tobacco in Spain," he indicated.

The sector emphasizes that tobacco cultivation is synonymous with "quality and competitiveness", in addition to serving to combat depopulation and climate change, preserving the territory, innovation and generating sustainable solutions. Thus, in Extremadura alone, the largest tobacco leaf producing region in Europe, it provides economic support to some 20,000 families.

"It is essential that the measures included in the plan are based on objective data, scientific evidence and experiences in other countries. Likewise, other alternatives such as smokeless tobacco or any other of the innovations that are associated with lower toxicity. These alternatives require maintaining high quality standards provided by European tobacco and, without a doubt, are alternatives that will help maintain the sustainability of the tobacco sector," said Castañar.

On the other hand, the Interprofessional has recalled that measures such as increased taxation or the implementation of plain packaging can cause the opposite effect to what is sought, since they encourage smuggling, a decrease in the quality/price ratio and illicit trade. .