P15M worth of farm interventions provided to 26 Kalinga FCAs farmers by DA-CAR

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Tilling the soil is now lighter and no longer dependent on rented equipment for farmers in Kalinga who received P15 million worth of farm machinery from the Department of Agriculture- Cordillera recently.

On September 17, 2025, a total of 26 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in the province received 3 four-wheel drive tractors, 2 combine harvesters, 18 pump irrigation system for Open Source (PISOS), and 5 walking-type agricultural tractors, among others. 

The interventions were provided under the Corn Program, the High-Value Crops Development Program, and the National Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture Program of the agency, which aims to reduce production costs, save time, and increase yields for local farmers in Kalinga and Cordillera as a whole. 

With the given equipment, the farmers who are members of these FCAs will no longer depend heavily on manual work and expensive equipment rentals for cultivating their fields and irrigating their plants. 

Kalinga remains the top producer of rice as well as the biggest contributor to corn production in the Cordillera region in the past years. Thus, the machinery provided them will greatly aid the beneficiary farmers.

Philippine Statistics Authority-Cordillera data in 2023 showed the province contributed 112, 839.99 metric tons of palay or 34 percent of the region’s total annual production of 171, 771.45 metric tons.

The province also produced 63,660.19 metric tons of corn or 37 percent of the region’s total yield of 171,771.54 metric tons for the whole cropping period.

For 2024, there is no detailed report yet from the agency.

This year, DA-Cordillera through its Corn Coordinator Gerardo Banawa reported that Kalinga farmers have already exceeded their corn production, harvesting 4.16 metric tons per hectare against the target harvest of 3.57. 

According to the regional agricultural department, the data shows that with modern farm interventions, farmers can shift to more productive crops and achieve higher yields. 

“ Kalinga, in particular, surpassed its target yield of 3.57 MT/ha with an actual yield of 4.16 MT/ha over 49 hectares. The data indicates the farmers’ shift to corn from other crops,” the DA-CAR wrote. 

The farm support is also expected to boost the province’s growing production of robusta coffee and lowland vegetables. 

Before the distribution of the support, technical demonstrations were conducted by the agency to ensure that farmers can operate and maintain the equipment properly, making sure that the interventions truly serve their purpose for the long term.