MANILA – The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has distributed 1,512 farm machines nationwide as of Oct. 21, 2020, which form part of the PHP5 billion worth of machines that were bid out and bought by the agency for the year 2019.
This is equivalent to a 51-percent accomplishment of the farm machinery target for distribution to over 10,000 farmer-beneficiaries nationwide.
The agency is currently bidding out the next batch of farm machines worth at least PHP3 billion to complete the PHP10 billion required for 2019 and 2020 under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
Early this year, it bid out PHP2 billion worth of farm machines.
PhilMech executive director Baldwin Jallorina, in a virtual presser on Wednesday, said the agency is stepping up the distribution of farm machines under the RCEF-Mechanization Program so that rice farmers can cope better with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and rice imports.
He added that the initial success of PhilMech in the distribution of farm machines under RCEF and the positive feedback the agency has been getting from farmer-recipients show that the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) is beneficial to the rice sector.
“If there was no RTL, there would be no machines distributed to qualified farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) worth PHP5 billion every year from 2019 to 2024,” he added.
The farm machines delivered as of October 21, 2020 are as follows: 213 four-wheel tractors; 220 hand tractors; 376 floating tillers; 52 precision seeders; 106 walk behind transplanters; 118 riding type transplanters; 103 reapers; 310 combine harvesters; and 14 mobile rice mills.
Jallorina said with the easing of lockdowns and quarantines, PhilMech can step up its distribution of farm machines nationwide.
"The agency can also intensify its training of FCAs that are qualified to receive the farm machines under the RCEF-Mechanization Program at no cost," he added.
Jallorina said PhilMech will continue to exercise transparency in the bidding and acquisition of the farm machines.
“We will continue to exercising transparency in the bidding process with the proceedings are aired live over the official PHilMech Facebook page. Even the actual opening of the bids and the awarding are aired live,” Jallorina added.
To further improve the distribution of farm machines, he said PhilMech is developing to fabricate farm machines such as four-wheel tractors and transplanters, among others, that are being imported. (PR)
