Kalinga awarded 73 PhilMec farm machineries since 2020

Tabuk City, Kalinga – With the support of farmer stakeholders, the Province of Kalinga led by Governor Ferdinand Tubban was able to acquire 73 farm machinery from the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) from the year 2020 to 2021.

The machinery has been a great help to farmers, especially in farm mechanization and lowering input farming costs.

Provincial Agriculturist, Engr. Domingo Bakilan disclosed during the radio program of the Office of the Governor aired on December 28 that the machinery was given as provided in the Rice Tarrification law.

Of the 73 pieces of machinery, 27 units are rice threshers which were distributed to the different farmer associations and organizations in the province. Seven units of rice threshers were given for the farmer organizations in Balbalan, 10 in Lubuagan, 4 in Tanudan, three in Tinglayan, and three in Pinukpuk.

The nine units of four-wheel-drive tractors received by the province were provided to two farmer associations in Pinukpuk, two in Rizal, four in Tabuk, and one in Tanudan.

The province also got 10 combined harvesters. Two units were turned over to farmers in Tanudan, three in Tabuk, two in Pinukpuk, one in Rizal, and two in the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services.

Moreover, 12 of the 23 units of the hand tractor (kuliglig) were given to farmers in Pinukpuk, eight in Rizal, and three in Tabuk.

The two units of mobile rice mill were awarded to the farmer organizations in Pinukpuk and in Rizal; one unit of precision seeder was received by the Matagoan Agriculture Cooperative of Tabuk City while 1 unit of the walk-behind transplanter was given to Cabaruan Multipurpose Cooperative.

Monitoring of Farm Machineries

Engr. Bakilan explained that the PhilMech personnel, along with the agricultural engineers from OPAS, regularly monitor the status of the equipment. This is to ensure that the farm machinery is being utilized for its purpose and that the fund spent on the equipment are not wasted.

Chance of farmer organizations to get more machinery

According to the Provincial Agriculturist, if the monitoring team observes that the machinery is being used and managed properly, the farmer organizations and associations may be granted more equipment.

“Dagidiay dadduma maikkan da for the second time agsipud ta di agmonitor ti PhilMech ken opisina tayo, mayat ti management da. Diay kwarta a para idiay makinarya da is properly accounted for, amin a bookkeeping da ket mayat, amin a management da, diay garahe da ket adda,” stated Bakilan.

Governor Tubban, during the previous awarding ceremonies he attended, appealed to the farmers to likewise do their part in taking care of the equipment that the provincial government had been working for this, he said, is for their own benefit.

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