Farmers ask for grain driers amid La Nina onset
WITH the onset of La Niña phenomenon, farmers are appealing to concerned government agencies to provide them with large-capacity mechanical grain dryers.
The Kilusang Magbubukod ng Pilipinas (KMP) said mechanical grain dryers will help the farmers who are harvesting their palay this season.
The KMP said it is part of the mandate of the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority (NFA) to provide the farmers with such materials to help them produce bountiful harvest.
“Kailangan na magpusisyon at maglagay pa ng mas maraming mechanical dryers ang DA at NFA sa mga lugar kung saan nag-aanihan na ang mga magsasaka ng palay,” the KMP said.
The PAGASA has declared the start of the La Niña last October 15.
Reports said that farmers are scrambling to dry their harvest on pavements or so-called solar dryers depending on good weather condition.
The group said that aside from providing mechanical dryers, the DA and NFA must grant subsidies to farmers’ associations and cooperatives for the operational cost of mechanical dryers.
KMP said the provision of mechanical dryers should not be dependent on farmers’ registry status to the Registry System of Basic Sectors in Agriculture or RSBSA.
“Para matuyo at mabili ng NFA ang palay ng mga magsasaka, kailangan tuyong-tuyo at nasa pamantayan ng 14% moisture content. Lalong kailangan ng mga mechanical dryers,” the group added.
Meanwhile, KMP also questioned PhilMech for the agency’s low disbursement of its P15-billion allocation from the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) for the past three years.
Based on reports, PhilMech disbursed only P859.68 million, or 6 percent of the agency’s total RCEF appropriation and nearly 10 percent of the obligated fund. As of August 2021, PhilMech’s notice of cash allocation was at P11.31 billion, while the agency only obligated P8.64 billion.
