Agri-10 continues to distribute fuel assistance to farmers owning or renting functional farm machinery.
MALAYBALAY CITY, BUKIDNON – Aiming to help cushion the impact of rising oil prices on the farming sector, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA – RFO 10), through its Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED), led the Fuel Assistance to Farmers Project (FAtFP) caravan on October 14 in Barangay Violeta, here.
In partnership with the Universal Storefront Services Corp., the DA-10 rolled out not less than PhP2.34-million worth of fuel subdisy to some 745 eligible farmers from Malaybalay City, Impasug-ong, and Sumilao, in Bukidnon province, via the DA Intervention Monitoring Card (IMC).
Pursuant to the FY 2023 implementing guidelines of the FAtFP, eligible recipients subsidy are either individual farmer or member of Farmer Cooperative and Associations (FCA) who owns or rents functional farm machinery with proof of ownership or rental agreement, as accounted for in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System (ABEMIS).
The recipient must also be registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) of the DA.
In support of the event, Malaybalay City Vice Mayor Estelito R. Marabe recognized the active cooperation of the city’s local government unit which is instrumental for the realization of the said assistance.
DA-10 RAED chief Engr. Deliza T. Camaro also emphasized that the implementation of FAtFP will continue in the following year, thus, urging other farmers who are yet to register their agricultural machineries to comply with the registration process through their local Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering office.
“[For FY 2023] Malaybalay City is the first within the region and the country to accomplish the registration of machinery and equipment, making it a great example to other regions,” she said.
To roll out the remaining FAtFP subsidy earmarked in 2023, the DA-10 RAED is set to hold a series of distribution caravan where a total of P7.08-M worth of fuel assistance will be rolled out.
The caravan will kick off in Bukidnon starting October 15 in Cabanglasan town with 547 beneficiaries, and October 16 in Kibawe with 446 combined beneficiaries from Dangcagan, Kadilangan, Kibawe, and Kitaotao. Meanwhile, 363 beneficiaries from Valencia City, Kalilangan, and Maramag will receive the fuel assistance in Valencia City on October 17.
The caravan will take place in Lanao del Norte on October 22 with 607 farmer-beneficiaries from Bacolod, Kapatagan, Kauswagan, Kolambugan, Lala, Poona Piagapo, SND, and Tubod.
The last day of the caravan will be held on October 23 in Gitagum, Misamis Oriental with 286 recipients from Gitagum, Initao, Laguindingan, and Libertad will be given their fuel subsidy.
The FAtFP is part of the DA’s continuing effort to ease up farmers’ struggle amid rising farm inputs prices while scaling up their productivity.# (EJLG)