SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Feb. 26 (PIA) – The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has rolled out the distribution of cash assistance to 2,078 tobacco farmers in La Union.

During an episode of “Oras ni Mannalon ti Tabako” aired over DZAG Radyo Pilipinas-Agoo, tobacco production regulation officers Ambrosio Nisperos and Ruby Dacanay shared that 830 farmer-beneficiaries are under the Tobacco Contract Growing System Program (TCGS), while 1,248 are non-TCGS.

In January, the NTA had already completed the distribution of the P6,000 cash grant to each farmer under the TCGS program.

However, the distribution of assistance for non-TCGS recipients, which started on Jan. 29, is still ongoing.

Nisperos said the intervention aims to assist the farmers in their tobacco production.

“Tobacco farmers, who qualified to receive the assistance, were those personally tilling 0.50 hectares and below of land with an adequate source of water for irrigation,” Nisperos said.

He added, “Recipients were also identified based on their capability to provide adequate requirements for producing quality tobacco.”

Tobacco farmers were also registered under the NTA and had planted tobacco at least once during the last two cropping seasons.

Meanwhile, NTA also provides facility assistance through a loan for the tobacco farmers for the construction or repair of curing barns or sheds. (JCR/AMB/CGCC/PIA Region 1)