Five tobacco farmers’ cooperatives and associations in Abra were the latest beneficiaries of the Tobacco Farm Mechanization Program (TFMT) of the National Tobacco Administration.
The ceremonial turnover of P6.25 million worth of farm machineries to the representatives of each farmers’ group was held at the NTA Abra Office in Bangued, Abra on Tuesday.
The cooperatives/associations each received 40-HP Massey Ferguson four-wheel tractors, including rotavators and trailers. They are the Agtangao Tobacco Farmers Association (Agtangao, Bangued), Velasco Tobacco Farmers Association (Velasco, Tayum), NTA Bolbolo Farmers Association (Bolbolo, Pilar), Dalnatan Tobacco Farmers Association, Inc. (Dalnatan, Dolores), and Angkilat-Bananao-Daddao Farmers Association (Barit, Luba).
In his message for the event, NTA Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares Jr. said the agency implements the farm mechanization under the farm facility assistance program to improve production yield and increase farmers’ income.
“We assure our farmers of our continuous efforts to implement our flagship programs to uplift their economic status, especially in these challenging times of the pandemic,” Administrator Seares said.
Acting Deputy Administrator for Operations Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana, in a video message, said the implementation of the farm mechanization program is a collective effort of the farmers and the agency to enhance quality tobacco production and sustain the tobacco industry.
The distribution was led by NTA Branch Manager Minerva P. Mizal and Director Danilo C. Trongco of the NTA Governing Board.
Before the distribution, Jose A. Taclas Jr, acting Chief Agriculturist for NTA Abra, explained the guidelines of the farm mechanization program to the farmers, stressing on the importance of upholding good reputation as a cooperative to avail of the facility assistance from NTA.
This is the second distribution of farm machineries in the province. The first distribution was held on February 2020 at the Branch Office with six tractors awarded to selected farmers’ organizations during a ceremony graced by the late Administrator Robert L. Seares.
The TFMP aims to modernize field activities on tobacco production using new technologies and packages of farm machineries for the block farming.
[Text & Photos: Melanie Rapiz-Parel]