P100-M in agri assistance distributed in November
THE MANILA TIMES
FARMERS' cooperatives and associations (FCAs) have received P100 million worth of assistance from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), an agency attached to the Department of Agriculture, during the first 12 days of the current month.
The assistance was bankrolled under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Mechanization Program.
Fifty farmers associations in Bukidnon received a total of 94 agricultural equipment that includes four-wheel drive tractors, combine harvesters, mobile dryers and a rice processing system (RPS).
The agricultural equipment were given during the two-day Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) at the Bukidnon State University on November 11 to 12, 2023.
PHilMech said the Bukidnon leg of the BPSF was able to deliver assistance and services worth over P389 million to approximately 110,000 residents of the province who registered for the two-day event.
Among the FCAs who were awarded the assistance were the Lumintao Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Capinonan Irrigators Association Inc.; Greenfields SN Multi-Purpose Cooperative; and Mailag San Carlos Bagontaas Irrigators Association.
In Pangasinan, a partnership was established for the construction of an P18-million RPS under the same program.
A memorandum of agreement was signed between PHilMech and the Alaminos City Agriculture Cooperative during a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility held on November 6 in Alaminos, Pangasinan.
The facility includes two units of recirculating dryers with 6-ton drying capacity per batch and one unit of multi-pass rice mill with 1.5-ton milling capacity per hour.
To date, Alaminos has received P40 million worth of agricultural machinery under the RCEF-Mechanization Program, PHilMech said.
PHilMech also awarded agricultural interventions in Santa Cruz, Laguna, amounting P11 million.
Five FCAs were given several four-wheel drive tractors during the kick off for the two-day BPSF in the province on November 4.
The FCAs were Sto. Domingo-Maitim Irrigators Association Inc.; Banca-Banca, San Francisco, San Felix, San Roque Irrigators Association Inc.; Pila Laguna Agricultural Cooperative; Bagong Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Pila, Laguna Inc.; and Tubuan-Tanza Irrigators Association Inc.
