(Photo courtesy of NTA Ilocos Norte)
BATAC CITY — Tobacco farmers in Ilocos Norte are getting a timely financial boost as around 1,200 growers received PHP6,000 each in cash assistance this week through the National Tobacco Administration’s support programs.
The NTA said the payout, released over two days on Thursday and Friday, is part of efforts to help stabilize farm incomes amid rising production costs. The beneficiaries are enrolled under the agency’s Tobacco Contract Growing System, a program that provides farmers with production inputs, technical guidance, and marketing assistance.
NTA General Manager Randy Abella said the cash aid complements the broader support package given to contract growers and reassured that farmers outside the contract system will also receive assistance.
“In addition to the cash assistance, tobacco farmers who are not covered by the contract growing system will be provided grants based on their specific needs,” Abella said, noting that the exact amounts for non-TCGS farmers are still being finalized.
Beyond the cash aid, local government units across Ilocos Norte have also stepped in by distributing fertilizers, insecticides, and other essential farm inputs to support the current planting season.
Under the TCGS, the NTA provides an average of PHP50,000 per hectare in production assistance to tobacco growers, covering about 40 percent of total costs. This year, a total of 1,259 farmers in the province signed up for the contract growing program.
For many farmers, the assistance has influenced major cropping decisions. Nestor Asuncion, a tobacco farmer from San Nicolas, said the comprehensive support convinced him to shift away from rice farming.
“With the high cost of farm inputs and fuel, tobacco makes more sense for us because the support is there, even the machinery,” Asuncion said. “The key is to make sure you produce good-quality leaves.”
The NTA said it will continue coordinating with local governments and farmer groups to ensure timely assistance as the tobacco-growing season progresses, aiming to strengthen livelihoods in one of the country’s major tobacco-producing provinces.