ILOILO City – Thirty rice-based Farmer’s Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) in Western Visayas received the first batch of farm machinery worth P48 million under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) on Aug. 3 to 8, 2020.
According to Engr. Romar Areno, Visayas cluster head of the Department of Agriculture (DA)- Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), 10 units of the precision seeder, and 20 units of riding-type transplanter amounting to P1.6 million each were already distributed.
One FCA in Aklan received one unit precision seeder, Capiz – two, and Iloilo – seven. Meanwhile, PhilMech had turned over two units of riding-type transplanter to farmers’ groups in Aklan, Antique with two units, Capiz – one; Iloilo – seven; and Negros Occidental – eight.
“These machines are used for planting rice. The precision seeder can plant pre-germinated seeds on a dry land preparation while the riding-type transplanter can plant young rice seedlings on a wetland preparation. Both can plant in a precise row spacing and distance between hill are adjustable depending on the desired space between 11 to 21 centimeters,” explained Areno.
The RCEF farm mechanization component seeks to benefit 38 FCAs from the 37 municipalities in Western Visayas under the 2019 budget.
To avail of the interventions, FCAs applied for the DA accreditation. Members of the eligible association should have at least 50 hectares of rice areas to qualify.
Also, the association must have a minimum rice area of 100 hectares within the peripheral barangays from the proposed location of the agricultural machinery and postharvest facilities.
As counterpart, the FCAs had provided shed for the machinery and are required to follow the suggested service fee.
To ensure the full utilization and sustainability of the intervention, PhilMech requires FCAs to handle the project using an integrated and systems approach of farm machinery operation and management.(with reports from DA-RAFIS-6/PN)
