The government has awarded a total of P480.24 million worth of farm machinery and other farming inputs to farmers who were members of an organized group, the Irrigator’s and Farmer’s Association in Northern Mindanao.

At the turnover ceremony, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar said the assistance is part of the government’s provision for equipment to increase the productivity and income of farmers.

“We at the DA have been focusing on accelerating the implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL),” Dar said.

According to him, the DA is also beefing up its support to farmers who have been affected by the influx of imported rice in the market by sourcing out more funds for its rice programs.

“The request for RCEF components such as training and extension, seed procurement and machinery are already moving,” Dar said.

He also said the World Bank has already approved an additional $280 million in funding for the implementation of the Philippine Rural Development Project.

The DA, on the other hand, has secured $500 million for the implementation of a Provincial-Led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System and another $300 million for the inclusive development projects in Mindanao alone.

With this financial assistance in place, Dar said he remains positive that the impact of the different components of RCEF will soon be manifested by the next dry season.

“That’s our target. We cannot accelerate now because the season is not right,” Dar said.

For years, the DA has been using up its resources to improve rice production. But Dar noted that while it’s important to boost rice production, it is also crucial to implement an organized and systematic value chain approach to transform farmers from producers to agri-businessmen.

The DA chief has been actively seeking support from the private sector and various institutions to invest in the development of Philippine agriculture.

Just recently, the DA, in partnership with Land Bank of the Philippines, launched a P10 billion worth of programs to boost capacity of local government units to procure palay from local farmers.