Farm machine roadshow on

The Department of Agriculture will conduct a series of agricultural farm machinery and equipment roadshow, dubbed as ‘AgriMach 2011,’ involving manufacturers, suppliers, importers and dealers of agricultural machinery and equipment, who will showcase their respective products to interested farmers’ groups and local government units.

The roadshow -- with the theme, 'Aangat ang ani at kita sa paggamit ng tamang makinarya' -- starts in Luzon, on August 23-24, 2011, at the DA’s Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. The second leg will be staged in Iloilo, for the Visayas cluster, on September 6-7, and on September 20-21 in Marbel,South Cotabato, for the Mindanao leg.

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

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

The three-part roadshow is jointly spearheaded by the DA-PhilMech, DA rice, corn and high value crops program directorates, and respective host DA-regional offices (3, 6 and 12), in partnership with the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association, Inc. (AMMDA), and other independent farm machinery and equipment manufacturers and dealers.

They will showcase their respective products to prospective clients that include irrigators’ and farmers’ associations (IAs and FAs), local government units, and other interested groups.

The DA through its rice, corn and high value crops program provides support to qualified farmers’ groups and local government units so they can acquire needed farm machinery or equipment through counterparting scheme.

For inquiries, please coordinate with PhilMech Ass’t. Dir. Arnel Apaga (0917-5660816) or Aldrin Badua (09165350401); or at DA rice program secretariat, 925-2152, 920-0527 or 928-8762 loc 2418 or 2415. DA-PhilMech