Ilocos farmers dump rotten tomatoes near plant

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - Disgusted tomato farmers dumped hundreds of thousands of rotting tomatoes near a tomato paste plant in Santa town, Ilocos Sur, to protest against the low payment they were receiving from the management. The rotten tomatoes have prompted residents of Labut Norte in Santa town to complain about the overpowering smell of rotten tomatoes. Labut Norte is the site of the Santa Tomato Paste Plant. The residents are complaining of the smell and the inaction of the plant operators for the garbage. The tomato farmers from Cabugao, Sinait and San Juan here as well as other towns in Ilocos Norte said that the plant - which is now managed by the Philippine Tobacco Administration (PTA) - owe them more than P8 million in payments from past harvests. Of these, P5 million are owed to the Ilocos Norte farmers. Last May, the STPP only paid them P2,000 each, the farmers said. - GMANews.TV