AGRICULTURAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM. Representatives of farmer organizations in Talakag, Bukidnon receive a farm tractor which is part of the Department of Agriculture Region 10's (DA-10) agricultural intervention program. The DA-10 has provided PHP6.1 million worth of machinery to farmers organizations in the area. (Photo courtesy DA-10)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao (DA-10) has provided PHP6.1 million worth of machinery to farmers organizations as part of its agricultural interventions program.
Under the DA-Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) machinery and equipment, the local government of Talakag, Bukidnon received three units of 35-horsepower mini four-wheel drive farm tractors with implements and two units of corn mechanical sheller amounting to PHP3.2 million.
The Upper Patag Growers and Farmers Associations, Inc. of Lantapan, Bukidnon got one unit rice combine harvester and one unit 35-horsepower four-wheel drive farm tractors with implements which include rotavator and trailer worth PHP2.6 million.
“The need to increase the level of farm mechanization to produce more food efficiency and quality will be beneficial both for farmers and consumers,” Carlene Collado, officer-in-charge-regional executive director of DA-10, said on Saturday.
He said the machinery will boost farming activities and ensure high production and reduce postharvest losses.
Collado cited a DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) report indicating that postharvest losses in corn and rice are 7.18 percent and 16.47 percent, respectively, from harvesting, piling, hauling, shelling, drying and storage.
Collado thus underscored the need for farmers to adopt the different agri-machinery and equipment innovations to increase the country’s mechanization rate from 2.31 horsepower per hectare to 4 horsepower per hectare.
“Dako ug ikatabang ang mga makinarya kay ang wala na develop nga yuta tungod kay kulang sa galamiton maka expand na. Dako pasalamat namo sa Ginoo nga natabangan mi sa DA (The machinery would be a big help in developing and expanding our farm. We’re thankful to God with DA's assistance),” Reynaldo Berdi, president of Dominorog Small Farmers Association of Dominorog, Talakag, Bukidnon, said.
DA-SAAD is a locally-funded program of the agency that addresses poverty alleviation among the marginalized sectors in agri-fishery.
Through this program, provinces with high poverty incidence rates have been given assistance in agri-fisheries since 2017.
Also included in the turnover of agri-interventions were six units of 500-egg capacity automatic egg incubators amounting to PHP306,372 under the livestock program of the agency.
The project aims to provide livelihood enterprise to qualified recipients who may engage in balut business, selling of days-old-chicks, and production of live chicken or poultry meat.
The incubator comes with a module of 10 male and 100 female chicken or ducks as start-up agribusiness kit.
Six association-beneficiaries in Bukidnon received one unit each of egg incubator, comprising the Quabra Farmers Cooperative and Ambong Women’s Organization of Impasug-ong; Dologon Fisherfolk Livelihood Association of Maramag; Bethany Christian Home for Children of Talakag; Kalilangan Cassava Farmers Association of Kalilangan, and J.A Agro Employees Farmers Beneficiary Association of Quezon. (PNA)
