The province of Negros Oriental received some farm machineries worth P 68.87-million, funded under the Department of Agriculture’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund- Mechanization Component, through the DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech).
Held at the Lamberto Macias Sports and Cultural Complex in Dumaguete City, among the rice machineries turned over include 10 units fourwheel tractors, 30 units floating tillers, 8 units single pass rice mill, 2 units multi stage rice mill and 3 units recirculating dryer which were received by 3 Local Government Units (LGUs) and 26 farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from the province.
During the turnover, Engr. Domingo Miranda, Assistant Chief of Facility Management Field Operations Division of PhilMech, the farm equipments are expected to reduce production cost, post-production losses and increase the profit of rice farmers.
Negros Oriental Governor Manuel Sagarbarria said the implementation of DA-Philmech’s farm machineries can really help boost the province’s rice production. He was grateful for the farmers are now into farm modernization and mechanization.
The 10 units tractors were received each by the LGUs of Santa Catalina and Bais City, as well as the 8 FCAs namely Gomentoc Farmers Irrigators Association, Linao Palaycheck Farmers Association, Bayawan Multi-Purpose Agricultural Kilusang Bayan (BMAKB) Cooperative, Bayawan United Farmers Irrigators Association, Maninihon Farmers Association, Tabuan Ilawod Kalumbuyan Farmers Irrigators Association (TABILKAFIA), Sandulot Siaton Negros Irrigators Association and Nasig-id Maluay Irrigators Association.
On the 30 floating tillers, Barangay Aquino Farmers and Irrigators Association (BAFIA) and Bayog Farmers and Irrigators Association of Canlaon City received two units each; Guincalaban Farmers Association and Jilabangan Small Farmers Association of Tayasan also received two units each; Sab-ahan Proper Farmers Association (SPFA) of Bais City received 3 units; Tanjay City’s Cangkue Farmers Association and Naga Farmers Irrigators Association received 3 units each; Bayawan City’s Tabuan Ilawod Kalumboyam Farmers Irrigators’ Association (TABILKAFIA) Inc., Mantapi, Candalaga, Cansig-id Farmers Irrigators’ Association received two units each; Siaton’s Barangay Inalad Farmers Association (BIFA) and Canawat Inalad Sumaliting San Jose Irrigators Association (CANISUSAN) Inc. received 3 units each and Zamboanguita’s Bato, Basak Farmers Association and Rural Improvement Club (BBFA/RIC) received 3 units.
The 8 units single pass rice mills were received by Ayungon’s Tampocon Farmers Irrigators’ Association, Inc., Bindoy’s Irrigators Multipurpose Cooperative, Canlaon City’s Bayog Panun-ag Alibabay Malaiba Irrigatiors Assocication, Tanjay City’s Polo Asiotes Beneficiaries Farmers Association (PABFA), Bayawan Citys’ Maninihon Farmers’ Association (MAFA) and Rural Farm Family Association of Tubuan, Santa Catalina’s SanFran Irrigators Service Association (SANFRANISA) Inc. and Zambaonguita’s Nasig-id Maluay Irrigators Association.
The LGU of Canlaon City also received the 1 unit multi stage rice mills and 3 units recirculating dryers, while the Bayawan Multipurpose Agricultural Kilusang Bayan Cooperative (BMAKBCoop) received a unit of multi stage rice mills.
Eduardu Uy, President of SanFran Irrigators Service Association (SANFRANISA), expressed his gratitude to the Department of Agriculture for the machineries received.
“Sa una madak-an gyud mi kay pribado paman ang mga nanag-iya og mga farm machineries. Mangabang paman mi, apan karon nga naa na ang mga makinaryas nga gihatag sa goberno, niubos na ang among gastuhan, dako gyud kaayu ug gikatabang”.
(Before, we have to rent the farm machineries for it were privately owned. But now, with the machineries the government provided, our input costs lowered, it’s a big help.)
The turn-over was attended by the Board Members of the province Jessica Jane Villanueva, Bruno Bouffard III, Julius Sabac, Kieth Marc Adanza and Popoy Renacia, Bayawan City Councilor Luis Sumalpong and Negros Oriental APCO Alejandro E. Rafal.
