DA-10 through the Corn program grants a farm tractor unit to KAMADA ARC coop.

 

BALINGOAN, MISAMIS ORIENTAL- To increase efficiency and productivity in agricultural operations, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10) helmed by Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan turned over more than P2.9-million (M) farm tractor to Kabangasan Mapua Dahilig Agrarian Reform Community Cooperative (KAMADA ARCC) on May 31, this town.

Weny N. Enterina, chair of KAMADA ARCC received the certificate of turnover for the 90-horsepower farm tractor along with its complete implements such as harrow, disc plow, and trailer.

According to Enterina, the granted machinery brings about numerous benefits that would contribute to the development and sustainability of their cooperative and the agricultural sector in the locality.

Likewise, he expressed his gratitude to the DA for the support which is really needed for their farmer-members planting cassava and corn.

“Sa pagka karun, ang among priority is matabangan nga maka angat pud ang among mga farmer. Pinaagi niining tractor, naa na gyud sila’y magamit sa panahon nga mag trabaho sila sa ilang umahan. Mas maayo man tong traktor kay dali raman makahawan sa yuta ug dali rasad ta makatanum, kaysa e kabaw nga dugay man mahuman,” he said

[As of now, our priority is to uplift the lives of our farmer-members. Through this tractor, they readily now have a machinery unit to help them in their farm work. The [use] of a tractor is much better for land preparation activities, and it paves for an easier and faster way to planting than using draft animals that usually takes a longer time to finish.]

The KAMADA ARCC is now on its 23rd year with a total of 14k members, tilling more than 15k hectares of land for cassava, corn, coconut, and abaca.

As part of their farm tractor availability scheme, coop members and non-members alike must shoulder the cost for the operator as well as gasoline. Accordingly, members must pay the coop 1k and P2k for non-members to muster funds for the unit’s repair and maintenance.

Funded under the DA-10 Corn program, the machinery is expected to scale up the farmers’ capacity and productivity through mechanized farming method.

To increase farmers’ income, DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. emphasizes the importance of a mechanized and modernized agriculture production system in his three-year, eight-point plan for agricultural development.# (RDME)