More farmers in Nueva Ecija have received additional farm equipment and machinery through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech).
The agency distributed P107.74 million worth of equipment to 59 farmers’ cooperatives and associations in the province.
The turnover ceremony was attended by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, DA-PhilMech Executive Director Dionisio Alvindia, representatives from Senator Cynthia Villar’s office, and local government officials.
The event was held at the PhilMech Main Office in Science City of Munoz in Nueva Ecija.
The distribution was part of the agriculture sector’s move towards mechanization, which is one of the four components of RCEF under Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
The aim of the program is to enhance farmers’ productivity, profitability, and competitiveness through mechanized production and post-production systems. Fifty percent of the RCEF allocation, which is equivalent to P5 billion annually, goes to mechanization efforts.
The machinery distributed included 15 hand tractors, 27 walk-behind rice transplanters, two riding-type rice transplanters, two precision rice seeders, three rice reapers, 25 rice combine harvesters, and 14 six-ton recirculating dryers.
