Last Sep.8, 2020, twenty-three groups of farmers from the Davao region received a machinery grant worth sixty-five million pesos under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program. The machine were turned over to the New City Hall of Tagum, Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The agricultural machines distributed by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) were 13 units of four-wheel drive tractor, 23 units of hand tractor, 32 units of floating tiller, 13 units of rice combine harvester, 8 units of riding-type mechanical rice transplanter, 4 units of walk-behind mechanical rice transplanter, 1 unit of rice precision seeder and 1 unit of rice reaper.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar graced the turn-over ceremony and highlighted the importance of the RCEF components, namely: provision of agricultural machinery and quality seeds; skills development and extension support; and agricultural credit in reducing production cost and increasing the yield and profit of rice farmers.
Present during the turn-over were the Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office XI, Engr. Ricardo M. Oñate and the different officials from local government units in the region, aside from the farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs).
The P65-million worth of farm machines distributed in the Davao Region forms part of the P2-billion agricultural equipment successfully bidded out by PHilMech in the latter part of 2019.
