The National Tobacco Administration started last week the distribution of production assistance for its Rice Wet Season Project for CY 2021, under its Integrated Farming and Other Income-Generating Activities Program.
NTA Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares Jr. signed the release of the P71 million budget for the production assistance to farmer-cooperators from major tobacco-producing areas, based on the cropping pattern of the area. Farmers from the Ilocos provinces, La Union, Pangasinan, and Abra are given assistance for rice production, while those in Cagayan and Isabela, for corn production.
This year’s budget is higher than the P49.5 million released last year for rice production. The agency also increased the number of farmers from 3,537 to 4,855, and coverage area from 2,829 to 3,951 hectares.
Administrator Seares said that the rice-corn program will officially start the block farming scheme for tobacco production tobacco areas in the country, as required under the Sustainable Tobacco Enhancement Program (STEP) to increase quality production and farmers’ income.
The agency will only provide production and facility assistance to the farmers’ associations and cooperatives forming the block farms, not to individual farmers, beginning this crop year.“
Under the STEP, small farms will be consolidated to create bigger farms with common service facilities such as farm tractors, curing barns, irrigation among others, thus enhancing farm efficiency and reducing production cost,” said Seares.
Acting Deputy Administrator for Operations Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana, who also heads the NTA Pangasinan and NTA Candon in concurrent capacity, attended the distribution of rice production assistance to 42 block farmers in Tagudin, Ilocos Sur on Friday (July 2).
He met with Tagudin Mayor Roque S. Verzosa, Jr., Vice Mayor Bernardo F. Tovera and other local officials to discuss block farming and other strategies to keep the tobacco industry sustainable. “
As in other local officials in tobacco-growing areas that we have met, Mayor Vezosa and his officials gave us the same commitment to extend full support to our program and various efforts of the agency for the benefit of the local farmers,” Sambrana said.
According to Sambrana, NTA Candon has organized a total of 35 block farms in 16 of the 20 tobacco-growing municipalities in the second district of Ilocos Sur. The farmers’ associations/cooperatives that form the block farms are all beneficiaries of the rice program.
In Bauang, La Union, NTA La Union released the cash portion of the P7-million assistance for the Rice Wet Season Project to 841 farmer-cooperators, tilling an aggregate area of 602.45 hectares, from different municipalities. The cash portion, with 40% subsidy, will cover the amount to purchase certified seeds, and tractor/animal rental for land preparation, fuel for irrigation, and fertilizers.
Before the release on June 30, La Union Branch Manager Dr. Giovanni B. Palabay met with the farmer leaders to discuss the mechanics and implementing rules and regulations of rice production under the block farm.
In Ilocos Norte, NTA Ilocos Norte officer-in-charge Luzviminda U. Padayao released the cash portion of the P9-million assistance for rice program in the province after a brief orientation of the program with cluster leaders in the province, held at the NTA Office in Batac City on June 30.
In PHOTO: Rice program farmer-cooperators in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur has started tilling the land and transplanting rice seedlings. [Photo credit: Hermielynn Ringor/NTA Candon]