TUGUEGARAO CITY, CAGAYAN. It is the month of February
and the farmers in Cagayan province are already warry of the coming summer
months where temperatures historically rise to record breaking highs which
usually result to disastrous consequences on their crops. But this time, they are
confident that this year’s adverse effects of climate change may be mitigated
through the DAR-CRFPS project.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is presently
implementing a program to address the catastrophic effects of climate change
among its agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through the Climate Resilient
Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) project wherein it aims to increase farm
productivity and income of ARBs and members of their household in ARCs through
mechanized farming. This strategy is expected to maximize the productivity and utilization
of farm lands and ensure food self-sufficiency.
Mechanized farming basically involves the provision
of tractors, mechanical seeders, planters and harvesters. The qualified
agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) are provided with farm
machineries by DAR through the CRFPS project who shall operate and maintain the
same. The members of the ARBO then hire the services of these machineries such
as tractors, combine harvesters, etc for a discounted fee. Non-members may also
avail of these service but on the regular fees prescribed by the
ARBO-operators. Fees collected by the ARBO shall be used for the maintenance
and for purchase of other farm machineries as needed. Mechanized farming involves
preparing the farm, seeding, transplanting and harvesting.
Mechanized farming among agrarian reform
communities finds inspiration in the very successful farm practices in Barangay
Halang, Naic, Cavite, with Bernabe Buscayno, the former rebel leader of the New
People’s Army (NPA). Buscayno has shown that Filipino farmers can be
competitive in rice production if it adopts the farm mechanization technology.
He said that among the rice producing countries in Asia, the Philippines is lagging behind by producing only about four
tons of palay per hectare. Taiwan is producing about 10 tons, Japan, 12 tons,
and China, 17 tons because they have adopted full farm mechanization.
The DAR-CRFPS project also encourages Filipino
farmers and their children to go back to farming and produce more. Further,
other ARBs who are not yet members of ARBOs would be encouraged to join in
order to avail of the services of these machineries at lower fees, in
addition to receiving dividends as members of the ARBO.
In Cagayan province, there are fourteen ARBOs who
are recipients of various farm machineries under the project, from hand
tractors to 90HP four-wheel drive tractors and 70 HP combine harvesters. Under
the 2017 DAR-CRFPS project, five (5) units of 90HP 4WD tractors and four (4) units of 60 HP combine harvesters were procured, among several others. The five (5) units of 7 HP hand tractors with disc
plow, harrow, leveler, and trailer were earlier delivered to three ARBOs; one (1) unit mechanical shredder was also recently delivered to an ARBO in Rizal, Cagayan;
another two (2) units of 7 HP floating tillers with rotovator were also delivered
to an ARBO in Gattaran, Cagayan. A total of fourteen ARBOs shall benefit from these farm machineries.
The ARBs can now have access to these farm machineries because no less than Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself ordered the removal of costly financial counterparts/equity in general on the part of farmer-beneficiaries. In addition to farm machineries, the DAR-CRFPS project also provides funding for solar pump irrigation systems, three of which are already installed in the three pilot sites in Cagayan managed and operated by the qualified ARBOs. Majority of the ARBO-recipients of these farm machineries are farmers cooperatives who are the lead organizations in agrarian reform communities (ARCs).
Other prospective ARBOs were likewise encouaged to improve their organizational management capabilities and prepare other requirements as discussed during the 2017 ARBO Summit wherein the programs and projects of the Duterte Administration where also presented by representatives from Kilusang Pagbabago (KP-Cagayan Valley Lead Organization) and the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG) as part of the discussions on empowering the farmers through Participatory Governance.
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| Five ARBOs in Cagayan will receive these 70HP 4-wheel drive tractors with accessories |
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| The Rice Combine Harvester makes the harvesting process easier by combining six operations such as gathering, transporting, reaping, threshing, cleaning and bagging into one machine. |
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| The farm machineries include complete accessories to maximize its utilization by the various ARBOs. |
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| Machines and implements of this type provide the small farmer with a means of farm power suited to his farm size and income. |
