FARM IMPROVEMENT. This 2021, the government aims to distribute more farm machinery to farmer beneficiaries under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Mechanization Program. The total number of farmers who have benefited from the farm mechanization program of the government since 2019 have reached nearly 680,000. (Photo courtesy of DA-PhilMech)
MANILA – About one million farmers nationwide will be recipients of the PHP15 billion worth of farm machinery and equipment of the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) mechanization program.
"The continued implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund as provided under RTL (Rice Tariffication Law) is paving the way to this favorable development onto making Filipino rice farmers globally competitive," DA Secretary William Dar said on Thursday.
The PHP15 billion worth of farm machinery and equipment represents the PHP5 billion yearly allocation from 2019 to 2021.
From 2019 to 2024, the RTL or Republic Act 11203 allots PHP10 billion yearly from tariffs on imported rice for six years for the RCEF program. It is aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the Philippine rice industry.
Of the total, one-half or PHP5 billion of RCEF is allotted for farm mechanization, PHP3 billion for rice seeds, and PHP1 billion each for credit, and PHP1 billion for training and extension.
During the first two years of implementation, the DA through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has procured 15,918 units of various farm machinery and equipment, of which 55 percent or 8,702 have already been distributed to 679,486 farmers, belonging to 3,804 farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in 57 rice-producing provinces, where the RCEF program is implemented.
This year, PhilMech said, it will procure 5,098 units, and distribute these to 1,600 FCAs with 284,800 farmer-members. Of the total farm machinery and equipment, 2,574 units are for land preparation like four-wheel and one-hand tractors, and attachments like tillers, totaling PHP1.7 billion; 496 units for crop establishment like transplanters and seeders, worth PHP500 million; and 2,028 units of post-harvest equipment like mechanical harvesters, threshers and milling machines, worth PHP2.8 billion.
PhilMech studies show that mechanizing rice production operations, from land preparation to harvest, can reduce the production cost of palay (paddy rice) by PHP2 to PHP3 per kilogram (kg).
In a data provided by the DA's Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the current cost of producing palay in the Philippines is at PHP12.72 per kilo, while it is PHP6.22 in Vietnam and PHP8.86 in Thailand.
DA-PhilMech director Baldwin Jallorina assured that the distribution of farm machinery and equipment to rice farmers' groups will continue despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
"We at PhilMech believe that 2021 is pivotal as it is mid-way of the six-year implementation of the RTL and RCEF, particularly the farm mechanization and three other components," Jallorina said.
Meanwhile, Dar expressed confidence that by the end of the six-year implementation of the RTL and RCEF, along with initiatives under the Philippine integrated rice program, the cost for producing rice will be reduced to PHP8 to PHP9 per kilo.
This will make the country "at par with our counterparts in Asean," he said. (PNA)
