DA allots P6B to help mechanize rice farms, keep pace with Thailand, Vietnam

QUEZON CITY, July 3 --The Department of Agriculture is allotting an initial P6 billion to further increase rice production and farmers’ incomes, and subsequently increase the country’s farm mechanization level and keep pace with neighboring Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said “our target in the medium-term is to increase the current farm mechanization level at 0.57 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha) to 0.8 hp/ha.”

A release from DA said that to attain it, the Department of Agriculture is implementing a medium-term (2011 to 2016) agricultural and fishery sector mechanization and modernization program, a major component of the Aquino government’s Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP).

The mechanization program is spearheaded by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development Mechanization (PhilMech) in tandem with the DA national commodity programs (rice, corn, high value crops, livestock and fisheries), regional field units, and other concerned agencies.

For the national rice program alone, Secretary Alcala said the DA has already allotted P3.6 billion (P1B in 2011 and P2.6B this year), and proposes a P2.4-B budget in 2013.

The amount is used to procure various farm production and postharvest machinery and equipment that the DA provides to qualified irrigators’ associations (IAs), farmers’ groups, and local government units (LGUs) via an 85:15 counterparting scheme, where the DA shoulders up to 85% of the equipment cost, while the remaining 15% serves as the equity or local counterpart of the beneficiaries.

The production and post harvest machinery and equipment include rice drum seeders, transplanters, power tillers with trailers, mini four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, floating tillers, reapers, seed cleaners, rice cutters, threshers, combine harvesters, collapsible dryers, hermetic cocoons, laminated sacks, flatbed and mechanical dryers, multi-purpose drying pavements or solar dryers, including construction of palay sheds, warehouses, rice mills and processing facilities.

In 2011, the DA rice program has procured P1-B worth of 2,300 units of various production and postharvest machinery and equipment, including 429,450 pieces of 10-square meter laminated sacks or ‘trapal’ that serve as dryers.

This year, with a P2.6-B budget, the DA targets to provide IAs, other farmers’ groups, LGUs with more than 7,000 units of various farm machinery and equipment.

For his part, DA Undersecretary Joel Rudinas said “we want to provide the environment that would encourage the private sector to invest in the country’s farm machinery industry. We plan to reach a farm mechanization level of 0.8 hp/ha, similar to that of Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.”

He said other developed countries like Japan and South Korea are already highly mechanized, at 7 hp/ha and 4 hp/ha, respectively.

“We want to move from traditional to mechanized farm labor by enabling our farmers acquire appropriate farm machine and equipment so they could perform various farm and postharvest chores faster and more efficiently, and thus produce more harvest and earn more income,” said Rudinas.

“Secondly, as we are vulnerable to climate change, with farm machines we could devote less time for land preparation and harvesting. We could plant early, and similarly harvest early with the use of harvesters, thus avoiding possible damage due to typhoons,” he added.

For his part, Assistant Secretary Delima said “we do not intend to displace any farm labor. Instead, we aim to increase farm labor productivity. More importantly, with the use of farm machinery, farmers could prepare their land at the same time and adopt a synchronized rice planting schedule. This practice would enable farmers to monitor and effectively control crop pests, and subsequently minimize production losses.”

The DA is spearheading Makina-Saka 2012 or the 2nd Agri Machinery Roadshow, July 4 to 7, 2012, at the World Trade Center, in Pasay City, to showcase the latest farm production and postharvest machinery and equipment, and technologies.

“Makina-Saka is not just an exhibition, as we will bring together farmers’ groups and farm machinery manufacturers and distributors, Delima added. “Makikita nila kung anong makinarya ang tutugon sa pangangailangan nila.”

He said the DA will explore other alternative sources of energy, which are cost-efficient and sustainable, to power farm machinery and equipment.

“We will therefore encourage manufacturers to develop farm machines and equipment that could run efficiently on alternative sources of energy,” Delima said.

Finally, he said “we will also have to train new breed of farmers on how to properly use and maintain farm machinery, equipment and facilities.”

The Makina-Saka 2012 also features conferences and workshops of the country’s Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), Small Water Impounding Systems Associations (SWISAs), other farmers’ groups and associations, and Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs).

President Benigno S. Aquino III is invited as guest of honor and speaker on July 5. Secretary Alcala and farmers' groups will present the FSSP policy document to the President.

The FSSP is the Aquino government’s banner program aimed at attaining sufficiency in rice and major staples, increasing the productivity and incomes of small farmers and fisherfolk, empowering farming and fishing communities, and making the country’s agricultural and fishery sector globally competitive.

The President will also witness the launch of the “Matuwid na D.A.A.N.” web or the Department of Agriculture Accountability Network. The web portal will provide the general public accessible information on DA's various ongoing and completed infrastructure projects and other initiatives.(DA Information Service)

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