The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provides 84 farmers, who are agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB), P1.5 million worth of farm machinery.

These farmers are members of the Awayan Libmanan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (ALARBO) Inc. in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

They received a 35-horsepower combine harvester with a trailer worth P1.249 million and a compact rice mill with polisher worth P299,500.

“There is a continued high demand for rice. These farm machines will boost the yield and sales of high-quality rice, making farming easier and faster too,” said Agrarian Reform Program Officer Carlo Palaypayon.

He said that providing the farmers with advanced machinery will streamline their operations, reduce labor costs, and improve their livelihoods.

“Before, they needed to rent this kind of machinery. Now, their production cost will be reduced, and they will have additional income since other cooperatives can rent the equipment,” Palaypayon added.

ALARBO will also receive P100,000 worth of farming inputs trading to jumpstart the organization’s entrepreneurial venture.

Through the Major Crop-based Block Farming Productivity Enhancement Project (MCBFPEP) under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Enhancement Program (CRPFSP), the DAR in Camarines Sur will provide farmers with farming tools and technologies to adapt to the changing environmental conditions and increase their yields.

Diomar Jan M. Mora, president of Alarbo, expressed his gratitude, on behalf of his organization, to the DAR for being the recipient of the program.

“With these farm machines, we will save a lot of money and at the same time, earn money too because these [machines] will free us from renting equipment and employing manual labor for harvesting rice,” Mora said.