Kalinga hosts Cordillera's first Mechanization Roadshow, advancing smart farming across the region

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Kalinga took center stage in the advancement of modern agriculture in the Cordillera as it hosted the region's first-ever Mechanization Roadshow on July 28 at the Kalinga Sports Center in Bulanao, bringing smart farming technologies and modern agricultural machinery closer to hundreds of farmers and agricultural stakeholders.

The two-day event gathered farmers, government officials, agricultural stakeholders, and exhibitors from Kalinga, Apayao, and neighboring Cagayan Province, along with international partners, highlighting a shared commitment to modernizing agriculture, improving farm productivity, and strengthening food security in the region.

Organized by the Department of Agriculture–Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) in partnership with the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) through its Philippine representative FIT Corea Trading Philippines Inc., the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO CAR), the Provincial Government of Kalinga, the City Government of Tabuk, Kalinga State University (KSU), and other partners, the roadshow introduced participants to modern farming technologies designed to increase productivity, reduce production costs, and minimize post-harvest losses.

The activity featured live demonstrations and exhibits of advanced agricultural machinery, including tractors, loaders, backhoes, rotavators, laser land levelers, precision seeders, and combine harvesters.

Also showcased were rice milling equipment, grain dryers, boom sprayers, transport vehicles, and other mechanized technologies that improve efficiency throughout the farming cycle—from land preparation and planting to harvesting and post-harvest processing.

A milestone for Kalinga agriculture

Hosting the Cordillera's first Mechanization Roadshow underscores Kalinga's growing role as one of the region's leading agricultural provinces and a key contributor to its rice supply.

With Tabuk City widely recognized as the Rice Granary of the Cordillera, the province provided an ideal venue for introducing technologies that can help farmers address persistent challenges such as labor shortages, rising production costs, and climate-related pressures while increasing farm efficiency and profitability.

Governor James S. Edduba, through Provincial Legal Officer John Paul Baguiwan, welcomed the initiative and expressed hope that the activity would encourage greater adoption of appropriate agricultural machinery, particularly among farmers' cooperatives and associations.

The roadshow also highlighted the importance of mechanization in transforming traditional farming into a more efficient, productive, and sustainable industry capable of meeting the region's growing food demands.

As the first province in the Cordillera to host the Mechanization Roadshow, Kalinga continues to strengthen its position as a leader in agricultural innovation, reaffirming its commitment to empowering farmers, enhancing food security, and building a more resilient agricultural sector for future generations.