THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Mafar-Barmm) has started Wednesday, October 21, the initial distribution of farming machinery allotted for farmers’ cooperatives across the region.

Dr. Mohammad Yacob, Mafar minister, said first to receive Wednesday was the province of Maguindanao with 32 farming equipment worth P9.6 million.

Yacob said the machinery are the following: three units corn shellers; one farm tractor; two vacuum pack sealers; a generator; a hand tractor; one floating tiller; two threshers; one rice combine harvester; two units rice mills; and 18 units open-source pump irrigation system.

Yacob, who led the distribution of the machinery, said agricultural mechanization aims to improve the farmers’ income and productivity, thus, ensuring food security and poverty alleviation in the region.

He said the distribution of farming equipment to the other parts of the region will be done later or as the situation allows. (SunStar Zamboanga)