Tobacco, rice production not in conflict in Ilocos Sur - solon

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – Top provincial officials would be meeting on Monday here to tackle the rice crisis. Rep. Eric Singson said that the province is not panicking as there are still 30,000 sacks of rice in the provincial warehouses of the National Food Authority. He, however, said that the "Food Summit," which will be held at the Provincial Capitol between Gov. Deogracias Savellano, Reps. Ronald and Eric Singson and the mayors would strategize the food security plan of Ilocos Sur. Rep. Eric Singson belied the claims of The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance- Philippines (FCAP) that the province should stop planting tobacco, which is incidentally the cash crop of the 2nd District of Ilocos Sur, and plant rice instead. Ilocos Sur is the biggest grower of Virginia Tobacco. I don't see any conflict, Singson said. He said that the planting calendar of rice and tobacco complement each other because rice is a wet-season crop in their province while tobacco is planted during the dry season. He said that the crop that is planted in lieu of rice during the summer is corn. He also said that many of the lands previously planted with tobacco, particularly those near the coastlines, are now planted with rice exclusively. He also said that only a few part of their agricultural land is planted with tobacco, mostly in the 2nd district. He said that rice and vegetables comprise most of the farms. About 8,600 hectares are now planted with tobacco while the total area for agricultural land in Ilocos Sur is 36,000 hectares. Singson also said that he is not pro-tobacco because he was one of the signers of the anti-smoking bill. Like all drugs, smoking is bad when taken all the time, he said. - GMANews.TV