Six farmer associations in Davao de Oro received recently farm machinery worth PhP 20 million from the Department of Agriculture through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
On June 1, 2021, San Jose Lowland Farmers Association got a Rice Combine Harvester; while Lateral “E” Bagongon Farmers Irrigators Association, Upper Tingale Farmers Irrigators Association, San Jose-Lagab-Aurora Lateral “A” Farmers Irrigators Association, Lateral “A” Banag-banag Irrigators Association, and Irrigators Association of Limot Bayanihan and El Katipunan obtained two equipment each – a four-wheel drive Farm Tractor, and a Rice Combine Harvester.
The Ceremonial Turn-over which was held at the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office grounds was attended by the Municipal Agriculturists of Compostela, Laak, and Montevista.
According to the project brief, the mechanization program of the RCEF hopes to raise rice farmers’ productivity, profitability, and global competitiveness through the strengthened access and use of appropriate production and postproduction mechanization technologies.
The said fund has a total budget of PhP 10 billion annually for six years, which is distributed to the Mechanization Program, Seed Program, Credit Program, and the Extension Services Program.
Last February and March this year, DA also distributed 15 tractors, 10 Rice Combine Harvesters, and two Riding-type Transplanters to 24 farmer associations in the province. (PIA XI – Michael Uy)
