AS an initial move for a successful implementation of the Tobacco Contract Growing System (TCGS), the NTA started conducting orientation on quality tobacco production, in cooperation with leaf buying companies and the local government units.
The agency, through its eight Branch Offices, started meeting with local farmers in tobacco-growing communities in Regions 1 and 2, and Abra for the upcoming cropping season.
The educational and information drive on quality tobacco production is aimed at giving the tobacco growers a briefing on their responsibilities in the TCGS project, including its implementing guidelines and marketing agreement.
Part of the discussion is the Tobacco Block Farming, a new model of tobacco production to increase farmers’ income and productivity, under the five-year development roadmap of the industry, or the Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program (STEP). Also included are the essential components of the Block Farm, with focus on farm mechanization and livelihood projects, in addition to the various institutional projects of the agency under the Integrated Farming and Other Income Generating Activities Project (IFOIGAP).
In Isabela, the operations team of NTA Isabela conducted information drive on tobacco production and orientation meeting in Quirino town on October 27.
In attendance were 45 Burely tobacco growers under the TCGS financing program, and two representatives from leaf buyer Universal Leaf Philippines, Inc.
Cagayan Branch Manager Corazon R. Riazonda, in charge of Isabela Branch in concurrent capacity, discussed the various programs of the NTA, giving more emphasis on Tobacco Block Farming, including updates of its implementation and other components, financial assistance, and local government support.
Before the orientation, Riazonda and her team had a brief meeting with Quirino, Isabela Mayor Eduard Juan at his office. The municipality of Quirino is the country’s top producer of Burley and Native type tobacco.
In Ilocos Sur, NTA Vigan Branch Manager Minerva P. Mizal led the branch operations team for TCGS orientation on October 27 of local Virginia tobacco growers in separate schedules in five tobacco-growing barangays in Sinait town: Cadanglaan, Quibit-quibit, Masadag, Nagcullooban and Nagongburan.
Sinait has 1,147 farmers registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) of the Department of Agriculture, representing a total of 860.35 hectares of tobacco farms.
The branch offices in Candon, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Pangasinan and La Union also conducted orientation meetings with the local farmers in their respective areas.
In Camanga, Badoc, NTA Ilocos Norte OIC Luzviminda U. Padayao and her team met on October 6 cluster leaders in the area to discuss Tobacco Block Farming, a new tobacco production model, as required by the industry roadmap for increasing productivity and farmers’ income.
NTA Abra Branch Manager Esmeralda G. Valera and staff from the Operations Unit joined Tubo Mayor Guilbert P. Ballangan and other local officials for the tobacco farmers’ meeting and orientation of TCGS, held at the Dap-ay Hall in Barangay Poblacion.
