TARLAC CITY (PIA) -- About 40 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCA) and local government units (LGU) in the province of Tarlac received agricultural machinery and postharvest facilities from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech).

This initiative is under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.

In his message, PHilMech Director IV Dionisio Alvindia emphasized the significance of the materials in providing livelihood and improving the capabilities of farmers.

“We are encouraging you to take good care of these machineries and use them to your advantage, to increase your production and to produce more competitive agricultural products,” he told the recipients.

The P79-million worth of awarded grants include two units of hand tractors, 22 units of four-wheel drive tractors, three units of walk-behind transplanters, six units of riding-type transplanters, three units of precision seeders, 11 units of rice combine harvesters, and one unit of a single-pass rice mill.

Meanwhile, Governor Susan Yap expressed her gratitude to PHilMech for the intervention given to help Tarlac farmers improve their livelihood.

Kaunlaran Ng Mga Magsasaka Agriculture Cooperative from Concepcion town, on the other hand, thanked the agency for investing in their dreams and aspirations.

A total of 218 FCAs and LGUs have already benefited from the 431 units of various agricultural and postharvest facilities awarded in the province since RCEF’s implementation in 2019.

This is worth more than P400 million in assistance. (CLJD/GLSB-PIA 3)