The new plant is part of the government's Millennium Development Goals aiming to reduce poverty.

National Tobacco Administration (NTA) head Edgardo Zaragoza said: “This is in line with President Aquino’s poverty reduction programme to raise the quality of life of the farmers.”

Mr Zaragoza said that the plant will process meat products and the NTA will provide production assistance or capital for the hog and poultry raising projects, not only of tobacco growers but also to other farmers for additional income.

“Our mandate is to improve the economic and living conditions and raise the quality of life of the tobacco farmers and to make agriculture a solid basis for industrialisation,” he said.