TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) -- Hundreds of farmerss in Cagayan province received P65 million worth of farm machinery from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PHilMech).

DA Regional Executive Director Rose Mary G. Aquino said 19 units of four-wheeled tractors and 12 units of rice combine harvesters were distributed to different farmer groups in the province. 

She said the machineries were funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund program initiated by President Marcos under the Bagong Pilipinas program. 

Aquino also stressed that the agriculture modernization is one of the top priorities of President Marcos Jr. to achieve the country’s economic transformation. 

“To provide livelihood and contribute to food security, the government strives hard to boost local agricultural production through consolidation, modernization, and mechanization,” Aquino said.

Cagayan is the second largest rice-producing province in Region 2, which is why Aquino said, farm mechanization is very vital to strengthen rice production and empower farmers as they contribute to the food sufficiency agenda of the government. 

“That is why we need to cherish and take care of these machines from the government. These are from the people’s money. Please give importance to these equipment. Please use them properly and sustainably,” Aquino added.

Iguig Vice-Mayor Juditas Trinidad expressed her appreciation for the DA’s initiatives for farmers to sustain their income and reduce post-harvest losses.

“You are very lucky because the government has this program. This will help you a lot not only to improve your farming practices but also to increase further your income,” Trinidad said. 

Director Nelson Santiago of PhilMech said their agency is exerting efforts to conduct more research to discover new trends in agricultural productivity. 

“The assistance from PhilMech doesn’t end here. We will continue to assist and guide you through training on how to properly use and manage these machines. We are trying to upgrade our mechanization level to decrease production losses of our farmers,” Santiago emphasized. (OTB/PIA Region 2 with reports from DA 2)