CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Pampanga said that it is inviting farmer groups to take advantage of the farm machine incentive scheme that aims to provide farm machine assistance to farmer groups who can keep up with the rice production targets of the department.
DA Regional Director Andrew Villacorta said the machineries include post-harvest equipment and facilities, stressing that the machines will greatly boost local production of rice and other agricultural products.
Villacorta said the project is open to farmer groups who would like to avail of the incentive by registering their farm production and exceeding targets. He said that such move will give farmers better access to farm inputs and will help the overall production targets of the DA.
If farmers exceed in production per hectare, they will get a corresponding point for assistance.
He added that once implemented, the assistances are expected to boost current farm standards in the region and result in better production and harvest of agricultural products.
The regional office reported over the weekend that some P350 million worth of farm machinery projects where implemented in 2010.
DA said it aims to achieve 3.6 million metric ton (MT) production of palay for this year. The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Villacorta said, has recorded 1.7-million MT production for the first semester of the year. He added that DA expects 1.9 million metric ton production this wet cropping season.
DA has been topping DA's production goals since last year, reaching production goals and registering even substantial production beyond target goals.
Villacorta said the move is part of DA's initiative to achieve its production targets this season. He added that aside from the insurance coverage, DA has a buffer stock of 30,000 bags of certified seeds for seed subsidy for those that are not covered by the program or those that are not within the 62,000 hectares risk areas identified for coverage.