THE mechanization level of rice farms in the Philippines went up to 2.679 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha) as of the end of 2022, a marked increase from the 2.31 hp/ha recorded in 2013, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) said on Friday.
PHilMech Director Dionisio Alvindia affirmed the role of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Mechanization Program in the increase in the country’s rice farm mechanization level.
The RCEF-Mechanization Program is now in its fifth year of implementation and is set to run until 2024.
“Ultimately, addressing postharvest issues and pushing mechanization still form the core of farm modernization in the Philippines, hence PHilMech will continue to push technologies that will further level up the farm mechanization level of the country,” Alvindia said.
Based on PHilMech’s assessment, the highest mechanization level was logged in Region 2 with 3.5079 hp/ha, while the lowest was in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 0.9031 hp/ha.
The other regions and their respective farm mechanization level are the Cordillera Administrative Region with 2.3523 hp/ha; Region 1 (Ilocos) with 3.0936 hp/ha; Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 2.6177 hp/ha; Region 4A (Calabarzon) with 3.3569 hp/ha; Region 4B (Mimaropa) with 2.2233 hp/ha; Region 5 (Bicol) with 2.9844 hp/ha; Region 6 (Western Visayas) with 2.7616 hp/ha; Region 7 (Central Visayas) with 3.019 hp/ha; Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) with 2.4131 hp/ha; Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) with 1.5908 hp/ha; Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) with 2.2967 hp/ha; Region 11 (Davao) with 2.5912 hp/ha; Region 12 (Soccsksargen) with 1.7217 hp/ha; and Caraga with 1.6532 hp/ha.
The latest level of mechanization was based on the complete enumeration of existing agricultural machines, through PhilMech-Socio-Economic and Policy Research Division’s project entitled “Updating the Status of Rice Mechanization in the Philippines,” covering the period from March 2021 to December 2022.
According to PHilMech, it distributed a total of 22,844 units of various farm machines to 10,633 farmers’ cooperatives (FCAs) and associations and local government units (LGUs) covering the funding years 2019 to 2022 through the RCEF-Mechanization Program.
“The biggest portion of farm machines distributed were for land preparation at 12,644 units comprising four-wheel tractors, one-hand tractors, floating tillers, and farm implements/attachments,” Philmech said in a statement.
Also, 3,387 units of machines were distributed for crop establishment including precision seeders, walk-behind transplanters, and riding-type transplanters.
For harvesting and threshing, a total of 6,979 units of machines were distributed made up of reapers, combine harvesters and threshers and 1,338 units of facilities were distributed for drying and milling.
Alvindia also commended the FCAs and LGUs who have cooperated in successfully implementing the RCEF-Mechanization program. (Janine Alexis Miguel, The Manila Times)