Qualified Farmer’s Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) in Quirino province received Php41M worth of machinery grant under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program during the turn-over ceremony held this morning at the Quirino State University, Cabarroguis, Quirino.
PHilMech Director Baldwin G. Jallorina graced the ceremony and challenged the farmers to take care of the machinery in order to receive more from the program.
“Ingatan po ninyo at pagyamanin ang mga makinaryang inyong matatanggap dahil kung magagawa po ninyo ito, ipinapangako namin na madadagdagan pa ito sa mga susunod na taon,” Dr. Jallorina said.
Thirty units of various farm machinery were distributed to 25 rice-based FCAs in the province. These include four-wheel tractors, PTO driven disc plow/harrow, walk-behind type rice transplanter, rice combine harvesters, rice thresher, recirculating dryer, mobile rice mill, and destoner.
It is expected that these machines can cater to the needs of around 3,900 farmer-members within the municipalities of Cabarroguis, Diffun, Saguday, Aglipay, Maddela, and Nagtipunan.
Also present during the ceremony were Vice Governor Julius Ceasar S. Vaquilar, Dr. Roberto C. Busania, OIC Regional Technical Director of the DA-RFO2, Congressman Junie E. Cua, and other local officials.
Congressman Cua expressed his support for mechanization and emphasized its role in improving productivity and increasing the profit of the farmers.
“One of the ways to improve the profit of the farmers is to really utilize modern technologies, maximize farm mechanization so we can lessen the production cost, increase productivity, thereby increasing their income,” Cong. Cua emphasized.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jallorina also emphasized that the machines to be distributed were procured not just with the 2021 funds but also from the 2019 and 2020 excess funds from the competitive biddings.
Farmer-leaders Mr. Ronie Obra, Mr. Ben Taguiling, and Mr. Pedro C. Miguel expressed their gratitude for the program and promised to take good care of the machines.
Article by Jett Molech G. Subaba