TWO rice-based farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Misamis Oriental received farm machinery support worth P10.4 million under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), a report said Saturday.
Funded under the mechanization component of the RCEF, DA-regional field office-10 regional executive director
Carlene C. Collado said the distribution of agri-machinery is the third distribution in Region 10 within the month.
“These machines can be used for planting, harvesting rice and other activities,” said Collado.
The provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte had earlier accumulated P67.1 million rice mechanization interventions to 16 farmer-groups.
“The distribution only represents about 40 percent of DA-PhilMech’s budget for 2019, while the remaining 60 percent,worth more than P16.5 million for MisOr province, is still under procurement stage, and three more FCAs are being eyed as additional recipients,“ said Collado.
The Packages of farm machineries worth P10.4 million were turned over by the DA- Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) to farmer-cooperatives, associations (FCAs) cultivating rice in Misamis Oriental.
In a turnover ceremony at the provincial Capitol on August 27, the roster of interventions was handed over by Collado to Linugos Farmers Irrigators Association, Inc. of Brgy. Kibungsod, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental included one unit each of four-wheel drive tractor, hand tractor, riding type transplanter and combine harvester.
While, the Bal-ason Farmers Producers Cooperative, Inc. (BFPCI) of Brgy. Bal-ason, Gingoog City, was granted with one unit each of hand tractor, reaper, mobile rice mill, and mechanical dryer, and six units floating tiller.
Apportioned with a yearly P5 billion budget under the P10 billion RCEF portfolio, brought about by the Rice Tariffication Law to be implemented for the 2019-2024 period.
Rice mechanization is seen to drum up across the country to increase productivity, reduce labor cost, increase income and strengthen the global competitiveness of rice farmers in a liberalized rice industry, the report said.
Based on DA-PhilMech data, up to 3 percent milling losses, 5 percent drying losses, and about 2-3 percent postharvest losses can be saved with the use of mechanized rice mills, mechanical dryers and combine harvesters, respectively.
It added, up to 10 percent increase in yield can be achieved with good crop growth and higher density planting using mechanical transplanter, while a significant increase in yield is also aimed with proper soil tillage and better land levelling with the use of tractors.
“Nais ng programa [RCEF Mechanization] na isulong at ipakilala sa mga magsasakang Filipino ang paggamit ng mabisa at matipid na makinaryang pansaka,” PhilMech national director Engr. Baldwin G. Jallorina, Jr in his message delivered by Engr. Edgar B. Testa, head of Mindanao Cluster A of DA-PhilMech.
In addition, Collado challenged the provincial government to have more FCAs accredited with DA, considering the two benefiting FCAs, comprising 271 rice farmers.
“Mao ning basehan nato kung kinsa ang makadawat og package of machineries under DA-PhilMech,” said Collado adding that this will now be the chance of the farmer organizations to be given with the kind of intervention, which has not been done in the previous years.
He also appealed to the recipients to properly manage, operate and handle the farm machineries and equipment.
Collado said he was hoping to augment their income and livelihood, including non-members who may wish to avail of their services.
“Dako kaayo ang gihatag nga gahum sa inyo nga gi-abagan sa dako nga responsibilidad. Atong ipakita sa ilaa nga ang gigasto sa gobyerno nga mahimuslan pag-ayo,” said Misamis Oriental governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano.
The provincial government also handed over knapsack sprayers and fertilizers assistance to the two FCA-recipients.
“Ang gipangayo nga balos, areglahun, pangga-on ug mahalon ang mga makinarya ug ekipo ug motaas pod unta ang inyong abot ug kita,” Emano added.
“Pangitaan gyud namo og pamaagi nga magamit ang mga makinarya ug ekipo nga gitugyan kanamo gikan sa pangagamhanan,” responded BFPCI president Lolita Sanico.
“Wala namo damha nga ma-angkon namo ni ug mapasalamaton kami sa inyoa [partner agencies] nga nagpaluyo sa mga small farmers,” Sanico said. (Angie Cabig/JLO)
