By Freddie G. Lazaro
The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has distributed assistance to the 2,618 tobacco farmers, who were affected by freak weather at the start of tobacco cropping season 2024 – 2025 in Northern Luzon.
NTA Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez said the program aims to provide immediate relief to the tobacco farmers striving to recover from the effect of the typhoons and freak rains that occurred from November 2024 until the first week of January 2025.
The weather disturbance caused the wilting of growing tobacco seedlings and newly – transplanted tobacco in some areas in the tobacco – producing provinces.
A total of P9,000,000.00 was allotted for the program to cover the P4,000,000.00 cash assistance for the qualified farmers and the P5,000,000.00 fund for the purchase of biostimulants.
Deputy Administrator for Operations (DAOP) Nestor C. Casela said that an affected tobacco farmer will receive a P1,500.00 cash assistance and two liters of biostimulant.
“The successive occurrences of Typhoons Kristine, Leon, Marce, and Ofel from November to December in 2024 and the strike of freak rains in the first week of January 2025 have severely damaged some areas planted with tobacco in Regions 1, 2 and CAR,” said Casela.
“Each tobacco farmer, whose tobacco seedbeds, seedlings, and early transplanted seedlings were damaged by typhoons and freak rains will receive, a cash subsidy of P1,500.00 and two liters of biostimulants for protecting the tobacco seedlings from wilting due to excessive soil moisture,” Casela added.
Of the 2,618 qualified recipients of the assistance, 1,024 were tobacco farmers from the 2nd district of Ilocos Sur under the jurisdiction of NTA Candon Branch, 502 farmers from La Union, 452 farmers from the 1st district of Ilocos Sur under the control of NTA Vigan Branch, 272 farmers from Isabela, 151 farmers from Cagayan, 95 farmers from Pangasinan, 83 from Abra, and 39 from Ilocos Norte. The eight NTA branch offices validated and consolidated the qualified recipients of the program.
“We understand the challenges that our tobacco farmers are facing due to the recent extreme weather conditions. Our priority is to ensure that they receive the support necessary to recover and rebuild their tobacco plantations,” said Casela.
La Union tobacco farmer leader Hilario O. Olidan of Barangay Butubut Sur, Balaoan, expressed his gratitude for the assistance given by the NTA, saying that this would greatly help him recover from the damaged caused by freak rains to his growing tobacco plants in a 3,000 square meter -farm on January 3, 2025. He immediately re-planted his affected farm with tobacco seedlings with the assistance of the extension workers from NTA La Union.
The NTA started rolling out the distribution of the assistance to the farmers in Abra on March 14, and in Cagayan on March 17, and this will be followed by other branch offices. (Freddie G. Lazaro/DA- NTA)