Agriculture Secretary William Dar met with tobacco growers in a dialog to discuss the national government's program on food security that complement DA's vision: "Masaganang Ani, Mataas na Kita."

The Secretary said the national government has allotted P10-billion annually for the next six years to make farming productive, competitive and profitable, through various projects such as mechanization, development and distribution of hybrid seeds, skills development, and training for modern farming technology and entrepreneurship for the farmers' cooperatives.

He urged tobacco growers, who are also rice farmers, to strengthen their associations or cooperatives in order to avail of these projects, including irrigation services, infrastructures, and establishment of demo farms.

The dialog was the highlight of the meeting between the members of the NTA Governing Board, headed by Secretary Dar as Chairman and NTA Administrator Robert L. Seares as Vice-Chair, and the officers and members of the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Association and Cooperatives (NAFTAC) held at the NTA Branch Office in Candon City on August 29.

DA Region 1 Director Lucrecio R. Alviar, Jr. and Director Nestor Domenden, the regional director of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for Region 1, joined Secretary Dar in the dialog. Also present were Ilocos Sur Provincial Board Members Efren Rafanan, Gina Cordero-Pe Benito, and Mildred Elaydo; Candon City Mayor Ericson Singson and some local officials; and NTA branch/department managers and senior officials.

The Secretary also assured farmers affected by falling prices of palay of a sure-aid program or a P15,000 loan for each farmer, with zero interest and payable in eight years. He added that the National Food Authority will buy all the rice harvests of those who availed of the program.

He asked all local officials, particularly in the top 30 rice-producing provinces, to work on the continuous empowerment of the farmers by adding more support assistance for them. He cited the examples set by the provincial governments of Nueva Ecija and Isabela in investing in agribusiness, where they buy wet palay at P15 per kilo, dry, mill, and sell rice to the public.

Recognizing the crucial role of the private sector in modernizing and industrializing the country's agriculture sector, he also urged them to help in the implementation of programs, including the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and set-up more agri-based industries and develop markets for agricultural products.

The Candon dialog was the start of the two-day sorties of the Secretary in the four provinces of Region 1 on August 29 and 30, where billions of pesos worth of projects were distributed to the local farmers.