DAR rolls out P2.19-M farm assistance for 506 Kalinga farmers; Productivity expected to increase

Tabuk City, Kalinga – A total of 506 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Kalinga are set to receive farm machinery, agricultural tools, and production support worth P2.194 million from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in a move aimed at increasing farm productivity and improving farmers' livelihoods.

The assistance will be distributed during a turnover ceremony on June 26 at the Kalinga Sports Complex, according to DAR-Kalinga Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Adela S. Damaso, who announced the initiative during the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo held on June 22.

Data from DAR showed that six agrarian reform beneficiaries' organizations (ARBOs) in the province were identified as recipients under the agency's Support Services Program.

The beneficiaries include the Bulbul Community Pumiyaan Consumers Cooperative with 54 ARBs, Calaccad United MPC with 178 ARBs, People's Ultimate Resources MPC with 130 ARBs, Isla Madapdapig Irrigators Association Inc. with 128 ARBs, Cudal Corn Producers Association Inc. with 94 ARBs, and the Cagaluan Land Reform Farmers Association Inc. with 22 ARBs.

The P2.194-million assistance package consists of hand tractors, a mini corn mill, a feed pelletizer, a biomass shredder, portable greenhouses, a corn thresher, a coffee huller, brush cutters, knapsack sprayers, fertilizers, vegetable seeds, and other farm inputs.

According to DAR, the equipment and inputs are intended to help farmers reduce production costs, improve efficiency, increase crop yields, and strengthen the productivity of agrarian reform communities.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera, Damaso said the distribution forms part of DAR's continuing commitment to support agrarian reform beneficiaries beyond land distribution by providing the tools and resources needed to sustain agricultural production.

She added that the agency remains focused on helping farmer-beneficiaries improve their incomes and achieve long-term economic stability through continued government support.

“We want to do more than just give out land. Our goal is to also help our farmers grow more food and make a better living. By giving them this assistance, the government is making sure our farming families can truly succeed,” Damaso said.

The upcoming distribution highlights DAR's efforts to strengthen food production and empower agrarian reform beneficiaries by equipping them with modern farming technologies and support services that can help transform agricultural communities and improve the quality of life of farming families in Kalinga.