Monday, April 02, 2007 DA to step up modernization of farming systems
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to expand its farm mechanization program in Southwestern Mindanao in a bid to help fast track the total modernization of the region's farming systems.
Abusama Alid, Agriculture Southwestern Mindanao director, said they are set to link up with various farmers' cooperatives and local government units (LGUs) to promote the implementation of the ongoing farm tractor pool and mechanization project in the area.
Southwestern Mindanao covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Cotabato and Kidapawan.
Alid said their department has identified the mechanization project as one of the priority components this year of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani or GMA corn program.
Under the program, he said DA grants some P1 million to its partner cooperative or local government unit identified corn cluster areas in the region for the purchase of modern farm machinery or equipment.
Alid said they are offering such grant to LGUs and cooperatives that are financially capable and willing to invest on the project by providing a counterpart fund.
"A partner LGU or cooperative is required to infuse an additional amount to cover the remaining balance of their purchased farm equipment," he said.
Last month, he said they initially delivered a P2.2 million farm tractor to the City Government here, which earlier signified to avail the program.
He said the 90-horse power Massey Ferguson farm tractor would be used by the local government to improve the land preparation activities and for the opening of more corn production areas in the city.
Alid said the city agriculture office has formulated a rental scheme for the new farm tractor, which would be serving farmers in at least 11 corn cluster areas in the city.
He said Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr., who personally endorsed the rental scheme, plans to purchase another unit of farm tractor out of the rental fees.
Alid said they are presently working to forge more farm mechanization partnership agreements with LGUs and farmers' cooperatives from corn cluster areas in the region in the coming months.
Aside from such scheme, he said DA is also pushing for the establishment of additional corn postharvest and processing plants to help improve the quality and marketability of corn products from the area.
DA earlier identified Southwestern Mindanao as one of the country's main production centers of corn. It also plans to develop this port city as the marketing and trading center of corn in Mindanao.
A report released by DA Southwestern Mindanao cited that the region's total corn yield last year reached at least 1.1 million metric tons (MT) or a 9.74 percent increase from the 965,921 MT produced the previous year.
South Cotabato was reportedly the region's top corn producer during the last two years, posting a combined output of 926,490 MT during the period.
Southwestern Mindanao, the country's second top corn producer, has at least 434,000 hectares of lands planted to corn.
