Some tobacco growers in Region 1 expect a bleak harvest after a continuous rain last week flooded some of their tobacco farms.
The National Tobacco Administration estimates 1,132 hectares of tobacco, at early vegetative and mid-growth stage, have been destroyed with estimated value of damages at P81-million.
Jessie Raymundo, farmer leader of Amamperez, Villasis, Pangasinan, said some portion of his Native tobacco farm is flooded causing wilting of the tobacco plants.
“The affected plants can no longer be recovered, which means less production and less income,” he said in Ilokano, “it was an act of Nature, so we have to accept it and have to find ways to make up with our loss.”
About 600 farmers in eight tobacco-growing municipalities in Pangasinan were affected by the rain and floods.
In a report to the Operations Group by the Farm Technology and Services Department this week, a total of 4,209 tobacco contract growers were affected, most them from farm areas in Ilocos Sur and La Union. The report also includes farm damages in Abra, Isabela and Cagayan.
NTA Administrator Robert Victor G. Seares Jr visited the tobacco areas in Amamperez on January 29 to assess the damages brought by the unexpected rain during the tobacco season. He promised tobacco growers cash assistance to help them recover their losses from the floods.
He said this will be given after the damage assessment report of the Branch Offices and upon approval of the NTA Governing Board.
“We will assure our tobacco farmers that NTA will extend help through livelihood assistance, such as the manukan at gulayan, and beef cattle production,” Administrator said.
He added that the affected farmers could also avail of the restructuring of their production assistance for tobacco.
According to Acting Deputy Administrator for Operations Robert R. Bonoan, farmers cannot sow seeds again, and replanting may be done using buffer seedlings available, but this time may be very late to grow tobacco.
He added the agency will provide tobacco growers foliar biostimulants which they can use to help the crops recover from the flooding.
Administrator Seares, along with Bonoan and NTA Branch Manager Cesario G. Sambrana, also met with affected tobacco growers, all members of the Tobacco Block Farm, in Barangay Macayo in Alcala.