Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) Farmers’ associations and cooperatives (FCAs) receive 107 units of agricultural machinery under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program on August 17, 2020 during the turn-over ceremony held in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

Twenty five (25) FCAs with an estimated rice farmer-members of 4,850 will directly benefit from these rice mechanization technologies distributed by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization(PHilMech). Mr. Joel Dator of the Facility Management and Field Operations Division (FMFOD) of PHilMech led the distribution.

The said agricultural machines comprise of 25 units of four wheel tractor, 42 units of hand tractor, 11 units of floating tiller, 16 units of rice combine harvester, 2 units of precision seeder, 4 units of walk-behind mechanical rice transplanter, 6 units of riding-type mechanical rice transplanter and 1 unit of rice reaper.

These machinery grants amount to P85-M, allocated under the 2019 P2-B RCEF Mechanization Program budget. This is only the first of many machine distributions in the region.

This program is expected to boost the mechanization in the region as farmers will have more access to these machines in all operations of rice farming.

Rad Donn Cedeño, the regional executive director of the DA Regional Field Office IX, along with Gov. Victor Yu and Congw. Divina Grace Yu. graced the ceremony.

Article by Jett Molech G. Subaba