MODERN TECH. Farmers receive agricultural machines under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund mechanization program in Kidapawan City on Feb. 29, 2024. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization on Sunday (March 10) said 6,385 farmers cooperatives and associations and 368 local government units with an aggregate 1 million members have received equipment since the mechanization program started in the middle of 2019. (Photo from PHilMech website)
MANILA – The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) has delivered 28,817 units of various agricultural equipment since the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) mechanization program started mid-2019.
In a news release on Sunday, PHilMech said 6,385 farmers cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and 368 local government units (LGUs) with almost 1 million members are benefiting from the farm equipment.
PHilMech has obligated PHP24.9 billion for the procurement of 14,713 units of land preparation machines; 4,284 units of crop establishment technologies; 8,210 harvesting and threshing equipment; 768 drying technologies; and 842 milling equipment.
PHilMech has so far achieved a 91.6 percent delivery rate for the machines procured under the program.
“PHilMech has gone a long way in procuring and distributing farm machines to qualified FCAs and LGUs under the six-year RCEF-Mechanization Program. Equally important is PHilMech’s training and capacitation of the FCAs and LGUs that received farm equipment, so they will be able to benefit from the technologies given to them, and operate these for many years,” PHilMech Director IV Dr. Dionisio Alvindia said.
He said PHilMech intends to finish distributing at least PHP30 billion worth of farm machines under the RCEF mechanization program.
“These efforts are part of our commitment to ensure food security in the country which is part of the eight-point socioeconomic agenda of the government. Hatid ng PHilMech ang Modernong Pagsasaka para sa masaganang Bagong Pilipinas (We will achieve modern farming for a productive New Philippines),” he added.
Under Republic Act 11203 (An Act Liberalizing the Importation, Exportation and Trading of Rice), PHilMech got PHP5 billion annually from 2019 to 2024 to distribute various agricultural equipment to qualified FCAs and LGUs.
The PHP5 billion is sourced from tariffs on rice imports.
All the agricultural equipment distributed by PHilMech under the RCEF-Mechanization Program are in-kind or grants or are at no cost to qualified FCAs and LGUs nationwide. (PNA)
