By Fredde G. Lazaro
Danilo C. Trongco, a member of the Governing Board of the National Tobacco Administration (NTA), affirmed that the TD Plus produced by the NTA Tobacco Dust Processing Plant (TDPP) is an efficient bio-toxicant cum lab-lab growth enhancer in the fishpond.
He said that tobacco dust is an excellent replacement for the highly toxic, cyanide-based chemicals in pond poisoning or sterilization of fishponds before fingerlings’ stocking.
“The use of chemicals in pond poisoning is not safe to the environment because its toxicity will splash away through the outlets during pond washing that eventually harm the natural habitat of the water resources downstream,” he said.
He announced this breakthrough in other uses for tobacco during the 56th Fishery Industry Forum at the J & V Hotel and Resort, Barangay Sevilla, San Fernando City, La Union on March 24.
Trongco is also an outstanding freshwater inland fish farmer who owns a 2.8-hectare fishery farm in Barangay Nagtupacan, Lagangilang, Abra,
“Unlike when I used the Tobacco Dust Plus (TD Plus), my fishponds were efficiently sterilized without side effects to the water sources,” he added.
He added that the tobacco dust would reduce water pollution and nurture the natural habitat in the bodies of water.
Tobacco dust is an organic and natural insecticide due to its nicotine content that decimates snails inhabiting fishponds. As a molluscicide, it acts swiftly to protect fishes and their eggs from predatory snails and other creatures that exist in ponds.
For now, the NTA TDPP has an available supply of 500 bags of TD Plus ready for sale/distribution to the fish farmers.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 1 headed by Director Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan initiated the Fisheries Industry Forum anchored with the theme, “Masaganang Pangisdaan Tungo sa Maunlad na ekonomiya.”
Participated by the local fisherfolks in La Union, the forum aims to re-direct the usual mindset of stakeholders as competitors and to encourage the main actors of the fishery industry to work as partners for harmonious working arrangements to increase productivity and income.
Senior Tobacco Production and Regulation Officer Christopher R. Supang, officer-in-charge of the NTA-TDPP, disclosed that at least 100 metric tons of tobacco wastes from Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. (ULPI) are in the process of TD Plus production.