TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur -- To make accessible to Surigao del Sur rice farmers the appropriate rice production and postharvest machinery, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development & Mechanization (PhilMech) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) awarded a total of P81.96 million rice machinery under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

DA-PhilMech Mindanao-A Cluster Head Engr. Edgar B. Testa, together with PhilMech RCEF Central Office Representative Engr. Raymond R. Andres, and DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director (RED) Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr., handed the intervention to 37 accredited rice-based farmer’s cooperatives and associations (FCAs) on Thursday, March 30, at the Provincial Sports Complex, this city. 

The 1st Congressional District received P66.68 million from the overall intervention, and the 2nd Congressional District received P13.5 million. The distribution aims to improve the farmer's income, yield, and ability to compete globally through the access and use of appropriate mechanization technologies from planting to postharvest.

Among the machinery that were turned over were six units of hand tractors, six units of floating tillers (boat type), three units of floating tillers (turtle type), 26 units of walk-behind transplanters, two units of riding-type rice transplanters, two units of rice reapers, 14 units of combine harvesters, 13 units of recirculating dryers, one unit of a mobile rice mill, and one unit of a single-pass rice mill.

DA-Caraga RED Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr. and the 1st District Representative of Surigao del Sur Romeo S. Momo, Sr., emphasized the importance of farm machinery to help increase rice production and attain food security, as well as encouraged the farmer-beneficiaries to be responsible in taking good care of the interventions they received.

The activity was attended by Governor Alexander T. Pimentel, 1st District Representative Hon. Romeo S. Momo, Sr., DA Caraga Regional Executive Director Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate, Jr., NIA Caraga Regional Manager June Nathaniel S. Plaza, Provincial Agriculturist Marcos M. Quico and staff. Also present during the turnover were the city/municipal mayors and agriculturists of the respective city/municipality FCAs beneficiary of Surigao del Sur, as well as the chairman and members of FCAs. 

The RCEF Mechanization Component is implemented by the DA-PhilMech in partnership with the DA regional office. (Rhea C. Abao, DA-Caraga RAFIS/PIA-Surigao del Sur)