Isabela farmers venture into tobacco farming

HECTARES of land in Barangays Santa Maria and San Antonio in Alicia town are transformed into tobacco farms in Isabela. 

By Leander C. Domingo

ALICIA, Isabela -- The local government here is venturing into tobacco farming in the villages of Santa Maria and San Antonio as pilot areas to boost tobacco production in Isabela province.
    Mayor Joel Alejandro said the tobacco farming program of the municipality in Barangay Santa Maria has a total area of 18.5 hectares while Barangay San Antonio has an area of 5 hectares.
    "We are starting in this town, our first tobacco farming venture to help farmers and get a share from the national government's collection of excise taxes," Alejandro said.

    He said they have already initially distributed along with several members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Vice Mayor Andy Bon Velasco the wages for at least 130 tobacco farmworkers, who have labored for the preparation and planting of tobacco in Barangay Santa Maria.

    Alejandro noted that the farmworkers received their wages ranging from P700 to P1,400 depending on the number of days they have rendered working, and P650 to those who worked using their carabaos.

    In this project, the mayor said they are collaborating with the Universal Leaf tobacco company.

    "We have tapped the Universal Leaf tobacco company as our partner in our local government unit's tobacco farming program," Alejandro said.

    He said the company has downloaded its fund share for the rental fee of the utilized farm lots owned by the villagers in Santa Maria and San Antonio.

    "The LGU will also provide its share of the P30,000 per hectare rent during the duration of every planting season to raise the required amount of more or less P600,000 fund for rental fees, covering the 23.5-hectare tobacco farm," Alejandro said.

    He said this is their first time to venture into tobacco farming.

    "This project will surely help our farmers, in the long run, providing job opportunities for the displaced farm workers due to agricultural modernization and mechanization," Alejandro said.

    He said their tobacco program requires laborers within the pilot villages.

    Alejandro noted that while harvesting tobacco is not all year round, farmers are also encouraged to engage in crop rotation so they can also plant corn and vegetable products for the remaining months for additional income.

    "We also have assistance for corn and vegetable farmers from the local government unit," he said.

    Alejandro added that corn and vegetable farming will even enrich the soil for the next round of tobacco planting and other agricultural products.