VILLASIS, May 9 -- About 1,105 tobacco farmers from Pangasinan benefited from the PHP21.5 million worth of grants and loans extended by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) for the 2023-2024 cropping season.

NTA-Pangasinan branch manager Roger Madriaga, in an interview on Thursday, said about 400 tobacco farmers have availed of the Curing Barn Assistance Program (CBAP), which has a budget of PHP8 million for the covered period.

The CBAP extends assistance to farmers for the repair and construction of their curing barns, where they dry the harvested tobacco leaves.

"Through CBAP, they buy the necessary materials to cover their harvest in case of rain or to prevent direct sunlight," Madriaga said in Filipino.

Madriaga said the NTA ...