MORE than 500 farmers from Soccsksargen received farm machines and postharvest facilities worth P168 million from the Department of Agriculture (DA) as part of the government’s mechanization program to hike their output.
The DA said its DA-12 Regional Office awarded about P112 million and P15.5 million worth of production assistance to rice and corn farmers, respectively.
Farmers who attended the awarding ceremonies also received P3.2 million worth of livestock interventions and P5.9-million assistance for the production of high value crops.
On top of this, the Soccsksargen region received more than P18.4 million for the implementation of Bottom-Up Budgeting and Pamana project from the DA. The DA’s livestock program also gave P12 million to the local government of Cotabato City.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, who led the awarding ceremonies on June 18, said the DA would focus in “providing assistance that will enable farmers to improve productivity and increase income.”
Farm machines distributed by the DA to the Mindanao-based farmers include combined rice and corn harvester, farm tractors and other implements, according to Piñol.
“DA Region 12 Director Milagros Casis said 24 units of the modern combined rice and corn harvesters were released during the activity as part of the agriculture department’s program to mechanize farming in the country,” the DA chief wrote on his official Facebook page on June 20.
“The Philippines has one of the lowest farm mechanization rates among Asean member-countries, prompting the Duterte administration to pour billions into the procurement of farm equipment and machinery for distribution to farmers and fishermen,” Piñol added.
The Soccsksargen region is one the country’s top producers of rice and corn. The region’s palay output in 2017 rose by nearly 10 percent to 1.319 million metric tons, from 1.2 MMT recorded in 2016.
Corn production in the region reached 1.257 MMT last year, 9.88 percent higher than the 1.144 MMT recorded output in 2016.