SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Twenty-three farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Antique have received PHP99 million worth of post-harvest facilities from the Department of Agriculture- Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.
Nicolasito Calawag, Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) chief, in an interview Monday, said the post-harvest types of machinery turned over to FCAs on Jan. 22 could boost their rice production, thus they have to make sure they are well-maintained and in good condition.
“With the post-harvest facilities, it would make farming more efficient,” he said.
Apart from reducing the number of days needed for land preparation, he said modern equipment could also enable farmers to save at least 10 to 15 percent in losses during harvest.
Among the machinery turned over at the Binirayan Gymnasium were four-wheel drive tractors, hand tractors, riding type transplanter, combine harvester, precision seeder, floating tiller, reaper, walk-behind transplanter, and mechanical weeder.
“Traditionally, a farmer could finish land preparation for a hectare of palay farm for a week,” Calawag said, adding the four-wheel-drive tractor and other equipment could help do it in just an hour.
He added the cooperatives could even charge members a little amount for its use for the maintenance of the equipment.
“The farmers’ associations will have to decide as to how much charges they could collect for the maintenance of the equipment, “he said.
The beneficiaries are those that had been registered rice-based farmers' associations and cooperatives of the DA. (PNA)