The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) is set to distribute a P100 million crop production grant from the national government to 16,666 qualified tobacco farmers nationwide for the 2024 to 2025 cropping year.
Each beneficiary will receive P6,000 in cash assistance by Dec. 15, 2024.
The grant was affirmed as part of efforts to support the tobacco industry during a recent meeting of the NTA governing board, chaired by Agriculture undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano and NTA administrator Belinda Sanchez.
“This initiative, under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., aims to bolster the production of high-quality tobacco. The tobacco industry remains a vital pillar of the national economy, contributing 1 percent to GDP and 6 percent to annual tax revenue,” Savellano said.
The recipients of the grant were identified through NTA branch offices following specific guidelines.
Tobacco Contract Growing System (TCGS) farmers eligible for the program must have planted tobacco on one hectare or less, while non-TCGS farmers must have cultivated tobacco on a half-hectare or less.
All beneficiaries must be registered tobacco farmers who are actively involved in cultivating their land and capable of managing quality tobacco production.
They must also possess essential farming tools and equipment, such as plows, harrows, sprayers, and irrigation systems, and have access to quality irrigation water and farmland suitable for tobacco cultivation.
NTA branch offices will ensure that recipients meet all requirements before the grant distribution and that they are committed to planting tobacco during the upcoming season.
The program complements existing support provided by buying firms, local government units (LGUs), and farmer cooperatives.
