MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon (PIA)—To boost farmers’ rice production and profitability, the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office (DA-RFO)-10 recently released P233,237 worth of farm machinery to Maranhog Farmers Small Water Irrigation System Association (SWISA) of barangay Miglamin, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said these farm equipment include one unit thresher worth P117,937 and one unit power tiller hand tractor (riding type) worth P115,300.

Funded under the agriculture department’s Rice Program, Collado said these mechanized farming equipment units will not only develop the farmers’ cooperative but also increase their yield.

Notably grateful for the government’s help to farmers in outlying barangays, SWISA President Roland Repolidon said they are gradually shifting from manual agricultural labor to mechanized farming.

“Our association recently started adopting farm mechanization and we thanked the Department of Agriculture because these units of farm equipment could significantly improve our productivity,” Repolidon shared.

The said machinery will benefit their 47 farmer-members with a service area of 38 hectares for rice and corn, he added. (DA-10/PIA 10-Bukidnon)