THE Department of Agriculture (DA)-Central Luzon is continuing its farm machineries and equipment distribution to help farmers bounce back from the effects of the series of typhoons that hit the country.
As part of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, the DA, through the Regional Field Office, continues the distribution of farm machineries and equipments such as warehouse with recirculating dryer, warehouse with mobile flash dryer, shallow tube well, combine harvester, and four-wheel tractor to the farmers' cooperatives and associations.
The DA regional office used its Facebook page as a social media platform to disseminate and release advisories with regards to the updates on the typhoons to Central Luzon farmers.
Founding chairman Rolando Maniquiz Jr. of Makabilog Maynabo Tambo Irrigators Association Inc. in Barangay Las Piñas, Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija, said the machinery awarded by the DA helped in the increment of production and lessened the postharvest losses of farms in the occurrence of the rainy season.
"Malaking tulong po ang ginagawa ng Department of Agriculture dahil napapababa po nila ang costing ng mga magsasaka. Kung wala po ang tulong na mga iyan kamukha po kami service provider po kami, kung wala po kami ang singilan dito sigurado mataas na kagaya po ng pagaararo -- harvester. Isa pa po, hindi nangangamba ang aming mga miyembro na mabubulukan ng palay dahil pina-priority po namin ng samahan na maani ang mga palay ng bawat isang miyembro. Sa katunayan po noong nagbabagyo, in-offer po namin iyong mga dryer po namin na libreng gamitin ng mga magsasaka lalong lalo na iyong mga nabubulukan po ng palay," Maniquiz said.
Having a total of 174 hectares of the service area, the said association received farm machineries since its establishment in November 2008 with 79 regular members.
Maniquiz expressed his gratitude on behalf of the organization: "Kami po ay nagpapasalamat ng aking mga kasamahan sa Department of Agriculture dahil sa mga programang inilaan nila sa magsasaka rito sa aming lugar. Kahit papaano ay naibsan ang aming mga problema tulad ng pagkabulok ng palay at pagpapagaan sa pagsasaka namin. Sa dami ng programang naitulong ng gobyerno, talaga pong gumaan ang pagsasaka sa aming lugar."
According to the report of the DA-Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center, the damaged palay production areas from both Typhoons Quinta and Rolly is at 106,833 hectares, wherein 76.44 percent (81,663 hectares) of these areas were planted this 2020 wet season cropping, while the remaining 23.56 percent (25,170 hectares) were planted for the 2020-2021 dry season cropping.