NTA Administrator/CEO Robert Victor G. Seares Jr. and Deputy Administrator for Operations Engr. Cesario G. Sambrana, together with members of the NTA Governing Board, met with Engr. Roger T. Madriaga, officer-in-charge of the Tobacco Dust Processing Plant (TDPP) and inspect project equipment at the production facility in Brgy. Fernando in Sto. Tomas, La Union on April 6. Members of the Technical Working Group for the rehabilitation of the plant were also present during the visit.
A fire inside the plant in 2018, damaging some equipment, resulted in stoppage of production for the Tobacco Dust Plus, an NTA brand for the dust pure tobacco formulation. The product is used as molluscicide to control snails and other predator, and as organic fertilizer to promote growth of lablab, a natural source of food of fish, in fish ponds.
The TWG, headed by Engr. Sambrana, discussed with Administrator Seares, and NTA Directors Nestor C. Casela, Teofilo R. Quintal and Jessie Pat M. Serna to determine the extent of rehabilitation to re-operationalize the production facility.
Before the visit, Administrator Seares also met with the leaf buying sector in La Union on the production of raw materials for tobacco dust.