Aiming to mechanize the rice industry in the region, the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) – Region 10, with its provincial focal persons continue to validate the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) recipients of the 18 towns in Bukidnon.

Rice mechanization is one of the components of RCEF under the RA No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

The RTL provides for the creation of the RCEF that would be sourcing its funds from rice tariff collections, with Php10 billion allocated annually for a period of six years starting 2019.

Of the Php10 billion budget, DA-PhilMech heading the mechanization component of RCEF is allocated Php5 billion for the provision of farm machineries and equipment (tillers, tractors, seeders, threshers, rice planters, harvesters) to qualified farmer organizations.

To avail this grant-in-kind machineries, farmer organizations should have at least 50 hectares of irrigated rice farmlands.

The DA-PhilMech provincial focal persons with the municipal agriculturists will verify the stability of the farmers organization, needs of the requested farm machinery, and inspect their respective farm areas.# (EMB)