CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — With fuel prices still weighing heavily on farmers’ budgets, over 1,000 farmers in Bukidnon just got a much-needed break.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Northern Mindanao has distributed P3.03 million worth of fuel assistance to 1,010 farmer-beneficiaries across the towns of Damulog, Dangcagan, Kitaotao, and Quezon in Bukidnon.

The support, provided through the Fuel Assistance to Farmers Program, is aimed at easing the burden of rising fuel costs while promoting the use of farm machinery. Engr. Ronil Española, head of the DA’s Regional Agricultural Engineering Division, said the program supports farmers in reducing production expenses and transitioning toward full mechanization.

Each qualified farmer received an Intervention Monitoring Card loaded with P3,000 worth of fuel credits. To be eligible, a farmer must either own or rent operational farm machinery that’s registered under the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Management Information System. They also need to be listed in either the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture or the Farmers and Fisherfolk Registry System.

Española also encouraged more farmers to register their equipment under the Registration of Ownership of Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery and Equipment System to be part of future support programs.

“This initiative by the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering is a step forward for mechanized farming in Northern Mindanao,” Española said. “It’s designed to help farmers operate modern equipment while cutting costs.”

For farmers like Gilbert T. Legaspi of Barangay Kapalaran in Dangcagan, the assistance is a big help.

“This fuel subsidy is a huge help, especially when I rent a tractor,” Legaspi said. “Normally, if I pay P3,000 for rental, I save P1,000 by providing the fuel myself. That’s money I can now use for seeds, fertilizer, or other needs.”

He added that the program makes farming more manageable and affordable, especially for small-scale farmers like him.

“This really helps us small farmers. It makes our work easier, and our costs lower,” he said.