PADOVA (ITALPRESS) – BAT Italia continues to strengthen its presence in Italy and consolidates its role among the main actors of the tobacco industry, by signing a Memorandum d’Intesa with Deltafina, operator specialized in the transformation of tobacco. Thanks to this understanding, Deltafina assumes the role of transformative body of tobacco leaves from which the BAT Group will acquire in Italy the raw material for the next three years. The agreement – signed in Padua during the conference “Integrated tobacco store: the strategic role of the Veneto and the transformation” – represents the natural development of a long-term strategy started by BAT Italy in September 2025 with the signing of the Memorandum d’Intesa with the Ministry of Agriculture, Sovereign Food and Forests (MASAF), which previews the purchase of tobacco (of the Virginia Bright and Burley varieties) “An economic commitment that supports a sector of excellence composed of more than 400 small and medium-sized Italian agricultural enterprises and guarantees employment stability to more than 6,000 employees,” reads in a note. The new agreement further consolidates the collaborative ecosystem built by BAT Italia to support the supply chain. Based on the new Memorandum, Deltafina will be responsible for all industrial activities related to crop processing: from the purchase of tobacco from producer associations, to the selection, mixing and processing of the same according to the quality standards required by BAT. This collaboration aims “to strengthen the competitiveness of local growers, improve the transparency of processes and contribute to the creation of a more resilient agricultural ecosystem”, BAT Italia emphasizes. This path has been added to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by BAT – in March 2026 – with the operators PROTAB Italy and New Tab, with the aim of reaffirming the commitment of the group towards the national tobacco chain, strengthening investments in the supply chain, promoting more advanced production models and enabling a technological transformation spread over the territory. “The Memorandum of Understanding with Deltafina confirms our long-term commitment to the Italian tobacco industry, a strategic sector for the country and for the production of the territories – said Andrea Di Paolo, Vice President of BAT Italia -. The collaboration with Deltafina is part of a path that aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Italian growers, improve transparency along the value chain and contribute to the development of a more resilient, innovative agricultural ecosystem and prepared for future challenges. The regulatory developments that will affect the sector in the coming years make it even more important to work in a coordinated way and invest in more measurable, efficient and responsible production models.” With the agreement signed in Padua, BAT confirms the centrality of WePlant, the digital project developed to support tobacco growers in the management of agricultural activities through cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and predictive monitoring via satellite data. Through a dedicated app and a digital campaign notebook, WePlant allows the collection and real-time analysis of crop planning data, agronomic practices, the use of productive inputs and sustainability indicators, while helping to strengthen traceability and transparency along the entire supply chain.
– BAT Italia press office photos –
(ITALPRESS).
