CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) hands over various rice machinery to qualified farmer cooperatives, associations (FCAs) of Misamis Occidental.

A total of 18 FCAs from the municipalities of Aloran, Baliangao, Bonifacio, Clarin, Panaon, Plaridel, Tudela, and the cities of Oroquieta, Ozamiz, and Tangub will benefit from the rice machinery worth P37.59 million under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

Of the total amount, P25 million is allocated for the 10 FCAs of the first district and P14.5 million is allocated to the second district with eight FCAs as part of the 2021 budget.

The machinery distributed includes 13 units floating tiller, 11 units rice thresher, 8 units 4WD tractor, 3 units each of recirculating dryer and hand tractor; 4 units rice combine harvester; two units for each rice reaper, PTO driven disc plow; and, 1 unit each of walk-behind and riding type transplanter, multi-stage rice mill and de stoner.

The Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act 11203 allots P10 billion yearly from tariffs of imported rice for six years, from 2019 to 2024, for the RCEF program aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the Philippine rice industry.#(CRSeraspe)