BUTUAN CITY – The Guinabsan Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, (GMPC), assisted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of Agusan del Norte, recently received a farm tractor worth P1.8 million under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Project (DAR-CRFPSP) in a ceremony held at the DAR provincial office, this city.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Andre B. Atega said that the provision of a farm tractor aimed to address the farm-mechanization gap, which hampered the farmers’ development in the agrarian reform communities.
Atega said that the farm-productivity of the agrarian reform beneficiaries will be made possible through transforming traditional farming into farm mechanization.
During the ceremony, Ellen J. Torralba, OIC- Chief of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division of DAR-Agusan del Norte, said that the agency intensifies its effort to provide a package of support services.
“The CRFPSP significantly brings growth and livelihood opportunities to the farmer-beneficiaries,” she said.
Torralba further said that the CRFPSP is one of the DAR’s initiatives that support the government’s farm modernization program and complies with the government’s effort to fight climate change.
CRFPSP Point Person Raul Hermoso said the equipment is a four-wheel-drive power-35 HP tractor with attachments that include a rotary tiller and trailer.
Elsa O. Bucad, Chair of GFMPC, expressed gratitude to the agency for the release of the farm tractor to their cooperative.
"Dako among kalipay na nadawat namo ang ayuda sa DAR, dako kini nga tabang sa among kooperatiba (We are grateful and happy for the blessings we received, indeed, this could be a great help to our organization)," Chair Elsa Bucad said.
Based on the data provided by Hermoso from January up to June this year’s performance, it indicated that the province has already distributed 40 units of farm machineries and equipment, farm inputs and implements, and capacity building for adaptation and mitigation practices through their ARBOs.
Hermoso said that the distribution has reached 15 agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations covering more than Php3-million and more than PhP869 thousand of farm inputs.
The DAR-CRFPSP is a nationwide strategy assisting the ARB organizations aimed to build climate resiliency at the ARC level and to adopt technology innovations to improve farmers' farm activities and thus boost their productivity and income. (Gil E. Miranda, DAR Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
