The Department of Agriculture (DA) has released some P6.9 million worth of farm equipment to farmers' groups in South Cotabato in a bid to further improve the area's agricultural production.
Amalia Datukan, DA Region 12 director, said the assistance was part of the ongoing implementation of the agency's rice mechanization and post harvest facility assistance program, which was availed by irrigators associations and cooperative in the area.
Datukan said it was also in line with the Agri Pinoy food staple sufficiency program pushed by DA Secretary Proceso Alcala.
"President Benigno S. Aquino III had endorsed this program as one of his administration's top priorities," she said.
Under the program, Datukan said South Cotabato received an allocation of 32 hand tractor units worth P3.95 million; 10 units of rice threshers worth P1.13 million; one unit of four-wheel drive tractor worth P761,117; and, nine units of multi-purpose drying pavement worth P1.125 million.
The recipients were the Parbangon Irrigators Association of Barangay San Felipe in Tantangan; farmers group Komatiku of Barangay Sto. Nino in Koronadal City; Lower Tampakan Creek Irrigators Association of Barangay Concepcion in Koronadal City; SANISCA Irrigators Association Inc. of Barangay San Isidro in Koronadal City; PAGMACE Irrigators Association of Barangay Cabuling in Tantangan; Magic Flower Irrigators Association of Barangay GPS in Koronadal City; BINTIKU multi-purpose cooperative of Barangay Dajay in Surallah; SOCOSEPCO of Koroandal City;
The Rice Field Irrigators Association of Barangay Carpenter Hill in Koronadal City; Country Folks Irrigators Assocaition of Bo. 3 in Banga; Modern Farmer Irrigators Association of Barangay San Isidro in Koronadal City; Siok Communal Irrigators Association of Koornadal City; Cabuling Agricultural Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Barangay Cabuling in Tantangan; and, San Felipe Irrigators Association of Barangay San Felipe in Tantangan are also beneficiaries.
Datukan said the beneficiaries availed of the farm equipment through a cost-sharing scheme.
She said the agency shouldered 85 percent of the costs while the beneficiaries contributed 15 percent as counterpart.
The DA's share for the total cost of the farm equipment was P6.09 million while the recipients' share was P877,787.
Datukan said the newly-released farm equipment was part of the P20 million worth of farm machineries earlier allocated for Region 12.
Aside from South Cotabato, she said the agency also released 33 hand tractors, 11 threshers and two four-wheel drive tractors to beneficiaries in North Cotabato.
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