The first batch of tobacco farmers who ventured into hog production and turned their pigs over to the food processing plant received their first cash payments on Thursday.

Nestor Casela, deputy administrator of the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) handed the individual checks to the farmers, who he said, earned net incomes ranging from P1,500 to P2,000 per hog.

The first batch of swine raisers turned in a total of 28 hogs. All these are from Barangay Malammin in San Juan; and San Pablo in Narvacan.

NTA is the new operator of the plant located in Mabilbila Sur, this town after this was turned over last year by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.

This was provided for in a memorandum of agreement signed by Singson with NTA Administrator Carlitos Encarnacion.

Source: Balita.org