𝐍𝐮𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐳𝐜𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐩𝟏𝟏𝟏.𝟔𝐌 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬
A total of 28 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in the province of Nueva Vizcaya received 56 units of various agricultural machinery and postharvest facilities under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program during the provincial turnover held on March 14, 2023 at the Department of Agriculture – Nueva Vizcaya Experiment Station (DA-NVES), Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya.

These include 13 units of hand tractors, three units of floating tillers, 20 units of walk-behind transplanters, nine units of rice combine harvesters, three units recirculating dryers (6-tonner), seven units recirculating dryers (12-tonner), and one unit multi-stage rice mill (2-3 tph).

The machinery grants are expected to benefit farmers from 10 municipalities namely Bagabag, Bayombong, Solano, Villaverde, Alfonso Castañeda, Aritao, Bambang, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Kasibu, Quezon, and adjacent towns.

“Way back in 2019, the board of directors crafted a resolution that was given to the DA. Then two of our employees and one of our directors went to Nueva Ecija to personally give it to PHilMech. We were not expecting back then that this dream would come true but today it did happen. Thank God, hindi pala siya peke, hindi pala siya scam. Totoong-totoo, hindi na ako nananaginip,” said Ms. Benedicta Dela Peña, chair of Saint Jerome’s Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative, who is overwhelmed by the machinery grants (multi-stage rice mill, walk-behind transplanter and rice combine harvester) they received.

“Rest assured po na itong mechanical dryer na ibibigay po sa amin ay  makapagbibigay tulong po sa mga ka-kooperatiba. During wet season po talaga, aminin po natin na bumababa ang presyo ng ating mga palay. Pero through this mechanical dryer, tataas ang presyo ng mga ani po nila at lalaki rin po ang income,” said Ms. Karen Gay Del Rosario, chair of St. Catherine Parish of Nueva Vizcaya Multipurpose Cooperative, who received three units of recirculating dryers, one unit of multi-stage rice mill and one unit of walk-behind transplanter.

“Iingatan po namin at gagawin po namin ang aming makakaya upang sa gano’n ay magiging produktibo po ang ating mga farmers dito sa Nueva Vizcaya,” said Mr. Jeremy Castañeda of St. Vincent Parish Multi-purpose Cooperative.

Since RCEF started, 147 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and local government units (LGUs) from the province have already benefited from the free machines under the program with a total cost of Php383.6M. (Joe Ruedas, DA-PHilMech)