DA lowers farmers’ equity to avail of farm machines, equipment

To enable more farmers’ cooperatives and irrigators’ associations (IAs) avail of farm machines and equipment, the Department of Agriculture recently approved a more affordable scheme by reducing their counterpart or equity to only 15 percent (%), from the previous 30%.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said with the scheme the Aquino government is making modern farm equipment within easy reach of farmers nationwide.

He said the DA will shoulder 85% of the cost under its farm mechanization and postharvest program. This year, the DA has earmarked P1.8 billion for the purpose under its national rice program, and proposes to increase it further to P3 billion next year.

Secretary Alcala made the announcement during an agricultural farm machinery and equipment roadshow, dubbed as “AgriMach 2011” in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, August 23, 2011. More than 1,100 farmers, local officials, and farm machinery manufacturers, distributors and dealers attended the two-day roadshow and exhibit.

The DA through its regional field units (RFUs) will screen IAs and farmers’ cooperatives who wish to avail of agricultural machinery and equipment. Deserving recipients will be chosen based on a set of criteria.

Qualified farmers’ groups can choose from a range of agricultural machinery and equipment that include four-wheel tractors, rice combine harvesters, hand tractors, drum seeders, threshers, reapers, rice seed cleaners, flatbed dryers, solar dryers, and moisture meters.

Secretary Alcala said the Aquino government is serious in its efforts to implement a farm mechanization and postharvest initiative, as it will also contribute to attaining self-sufficiency in rice and major staples.

With the lowering of the farmers’ equity to 15%, Secretary Alcala hopes to encourage farm machinery manufacturers and distributors to follow suit by offering easy availment terms and financing schemes to farmers’ groups and IAs.

He said the DA farm mechanization and postharvest program aims to address the declining and ageing farm labor force, and to encourage more Filipino youths to pursue agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the DA will make AgriMach an annual affair to encourage farmers mechanize their operations — from land preparation, production, harvesting, processing to marketing — to increase their productivity and incomes.

Pursuing agricultural mechanization will also address the declining and ageing labor force in the agriculture and fishery sector. Another related strategy the DA is pursuing is encouraging more Filipino youth to pursue agriculture, fishery and other related courses by granting them scholarships.

The farm machinery roadshow—with the theme “Aangat ang ani at kita sa paggamit ng tamang makinarya”—will also be held in Iloilo for the Visayas cluster, on September 22-23, and in General Santos City for the Mindanao leg, on September 28-29, 2011.

It is jointly spearheaded by the DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), DA rice, corn, and high value crops program directorates, and the host DA RFUs in partnership with the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association Inc. (AMMDA) together with independent farm machinery and equipment manufacturers and dealers. Adam Borja, DA Information Service