BACOLOD CITY – Fifty farmer cooperatives and associations in Negros Occidental received agricultural machinery and equipment worth PHP 217 million during a turnover ceremony at the Provincial Capitol on Tuesday, November 19.
The distribution was part of the 17th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the event alongside DA-NIR OIC Regional Executive Director Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo, Board Member Jeffrey Tubola, OIC Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Dina Genzola, and representatives from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech).
The beneficiaries were provided with various tools, including four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, rice combine harvesters, riding-type transplanters, walk-behind transplanters, floating tillers, PTO-driven disc plows, levee makers, recirculating dryers, single-pass rice mills, and multi-stage rice mills.
PHilMech, the lead agency implementing the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program, aims to boost the productivity, profitability, and global competitiveness of rice farmers through advanced production and postproduction technologies.
The program is funded under the 2022–2024 allocation of the RCEF Mechanization Program.
