Ilocos Sur mayors are getting ready to come to the aid of tobacco farmers at the start of this year’s tobacco season in October.
This was learned from Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion of the National Tobacco Admnistration (NTA) who had sounded the call for LGU involvement in tobacco production efforts.
Encarnacion said he has conferred with Narvacan Mayor Edgardo Zaragoza, president of Ilocos Sur Mayors’ League, who was reportedly receptive to assisting the farmers financially.
Their involvement will be in the form of production assistance to tobacco growers who are in need of seedlings, fertilizer, pesticides and other inputs.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap initiated the move to solicit the help of LGUs when he spoke before top executives of tobacco buying firms, farmers, and NTA rank and file at the agency’s 20th anniversary celebration recently.
He also challenged the tobacco companies to pour out financial support to the farmers.
Zaragoza is taking the extra mile by meeting shortly with his counterparts in other provinces of northern Luzon to convince them to do the same thing in their respective areas, it was learned.
Tobacco is principally grown in the northern provinces which are benefitting from tobacco excise tax collections through the operation of R.A. 7171. This law, authored by former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson during a brief stint as congressman in l988, plows back 15 percent of tobacco tax revenues to tobaccco-raising provinces.
Encarnacion said the Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC) and Quedancor are getting ready to duplicate their exposure to tobacco growers that they had extended in previous years. P60-million in financial assistance was allocated last year.
He said NTA is focusing on the production of high quality leaf tobacco to assure greater income for farmers and at the same time satisfy demands of tobacco companies.