IBA, Zambales — Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. last Tuesday led the distribution of some P32 million worth of agricultural machineries and equipment at the Balin Sambali here.

The distribution of the P32 million worth of rice production machines and postharvest equipment aims to boost the agricultural sector of the province.

Ebdane said the distribution is in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.

The governor urged the farmers in the province to make full use of farm machinery from the government to increase agricultural production and sustain the local farming industry.

“Mechanization is apparently the only way now to increase farming efficiency and address the gap in agricultural production and farmers’ income,” Ebdane said following the release here of farm machinery to various farmers’ organizations and some local government units.

“And it should be a game-changer, too, because we have seen that mechanization is attracting younger generations to farming, which is still the biggest industry in Zambales,” he pointed out.

“We have to start making full use of farm machinery if we wanted to increase productivity and continue to make farming profitable for everybody,” he added.

The rice production machines and postharvest equipment include hand tractors, levee makers, PTO-driven disc plows, rice combine harvesters, precision rice seeders, cassava granulators, shallow tube wells, and composting facilities for biodegradable wastes.

Among the beneficiaries are five farmers’ groups in Botolan town: Biangue Agro-Farm Association, which received a hand tractor; Botolan Muna Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, levee maker; Maligha Irrigators Association, four-wheel tractor, PTO-driven disc plow, and hand tractor; Batonlapoc Farmers Association, composting facility; and Mamalyan nin San Miguel, composting facility.

Composting facilities also went to the Botolan LGU, President Ramon Magsaysay State University-Botolan, CENRO Specialist Co. and DA-RFO’s Central Luzon Integrated Agricultural Research Center.

In Candelaria, the Bunglo Zambales Irrigators Association got a four-wheel tractor, PTO-driven disc plow, and a hand tractor, while the Candelaria Corn Growers Association received a shallow tube well.

Palauig’s 1st Damayan Bagsit Irrigators Association was given a precision rice seeder, while Batungbacal Farms, Bulawen Integrated Farmers Association and Zennor Hydroponics Farm each got a composting facility.

In San Antonio, the Condicion Payong Farmers’ Association received a four-wheel tractor, and a PTO-driven disc plow; the Kapuriktan Nagtugawan Inabangan Farmers Association, hand tractor; Namanaan Farmers Association, levee maker; and the San Antonio LGU, a rice combine harvester.

Meanwhile, San Felipe’s Gurung Guru Farmers Association received a hauling truck, a cassava granulator, and a composting facility; the North East West South Farmers Association got two units of shallow tube well, while the town’s LGU got a four-wheel tractor and a PTO-driven disc plow.

In San Narciso, the Capaniquian Farmers Association got a levee maker; Negatil Rice and High Value Crops Farmers Association, hand tractor and two units of shallow tube well; San Pascual Irrigators Association, four-wheel tractor, PTO-driven disc plow, and hand tractor; and Simminublan Livestock Farmers Association, hand tractor.