The National Tobacco Administration has proposed priority projects worth P597-million for 2021 as it rolls out block farming for tobacco production next cropping season.
The performance and fiscal targets for the priority projects were presented during the virtual meeting of Operations Group presided by Deputy Administrator for Operations Roberto R. Bonoan on January 6.
These include new livelihood programs such as Chicken Layer Assistance and Goat Production, with P24.8-million combined budget, and the expanded coverage of the Beef Cattle Production and Gulayan at Manukan sa Barangay, with P31.2-million budget. The last two projects were introduced last year with P20-million budget in support of the food sufficiency program of the Department of Agriculture and part of the intervention to support the farmers during the pandemic
According to Bonoan, the coverage expansion of the livelihood programs was upon the directive of Administrator Robert Victor G. Seares Jr in response to the request of farmers to include more beneficiaries, which will be clustered for a package of production assistance under the tobacco block farm program.
Tobacco Block Farming is a new model of tobacco production introduced under the Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program (STEP), the five-year development roadmap of the industry, to increase farmers’ income and productivity.
This is on top of the regular projects such as the expanded Tobacco Contract Growing System, rice production, curing barn assistance, improved tobacco seedling production, solar-powered irrigation system, and tobacco farm mechanization program, worth P520.45 million in all, with request for alignment of additional budget from the Tobacco Fund. Last year, the agency had P345.19-million budget for the same projects.
Other projects, such as the hog fattening program under the NTA Kadiwa, vegetable seeds distribution, solar-powered irrigation system, and Kahuyang Pangkabuhayan at Pangkalikasan (KPP) are financed by the Corporate Funds.
According to Bonoan, the agency has started the pilot of tobacco block farming in the Branch Offices, or eight model farms in tobacco-growing provinces, including the one in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, which was visited by Agriculture Secretary William Dar on Saturday.
“Full implementation of the block farming will start in July in time for the Rice Wet Season to ensure the success of the agribusiness scheme and the extent of its importance to the tobacco growers,” said Bonoan.
In Photo: Tobacco production under the Tobacco Block Farm Model in Silag, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur. Block farming helps the agency facilitate the provision of appropriate training and technologies, including farm inputs, farm equipment and machinery and other interventions and assistance for farmers’ productivity.
(Text: Melanie Rapiz-Parel / Photo: James Canosa, NTA Candon]