AT least P10,696,500 worth of farm machinery and equipment (FME) has been provided to agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) members of the eight ARB organizations (ARBOs) in Lamut, Ifugao, which aims to improve their agricultural productivity.

Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado R. Estrella lll said that the provision of support services is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to uplift the livelihood of the farmers.

The eight ARBOs who received the farm machinery and equipment are the Saranay Multi-Purpose Cooperative which received a tractor head with 460 horsepower amounting to P3,499,000; iLucaban Agrarian Reform Farmers and Community Organization; Monggayan-Pinto Agrarian Reform Farmers Organization each receiving a unit of the combined harvester for rice and corn amounting to P1,988,000 per unit; and Tallo Purok Happy Agrarian Reform Farmers Organization with 4-wheel drive tractor and super thresher amounting to P2,970,000.

Others are the Aduyongan Agrarian Reform Farmers Organization; Talbok Agrarian Reform Farmers Organization; Bongan Agrarian Reform Farmers Organization, each receiving a unit of “bulilit” floating tiller, amounting to P55,500 each unit; and the Ngileb Agrarian Reform Farmers Organization receiving an engine for a flatbed dryer worth P85,000.

Raul Laluan, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, on the other hand, said that the FMEs would help the farmers boost their crops and help generate more income.

“The intervention you receive is God-given. I encourage you to continue praying so that more blessings will come not only from the DAR but also from other government agencies,” he said.

The distribution of the FMEs was made possible through the Sustainable & Resilient Agrarian Reform Community (SuReARC) under the DAR’s Climate Resiliency and Farm Productivity Support Program.

The program aims to support farm mechanization to help Filipino farmers improve their productivity, increase their income, and enhance food security in the country.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Cory Martinez