Manila, June 25 -- Farm modernization is making life easier for local farmers here, as they continue to benefit from the municipality's share in tobacco excise tax in the form of new machinery and equipment.

Nestor Asuncion, a farmer from Barangay San Guillermo, told the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday that his harvest from his one-hectare tobacco plantation improved significantly after he was given a diesel-powered water pump that sustained the growth of his crops even during the dry season.

"It has been a good harvest for me this year. Thank you for the provision of various agricultural inputs from the government," he said, adding that the government assistance has significantly reduced his farm production cost.

On June 23, a new...