THE Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) said it expects to provide P5 billion worth of equipment to rice farmers in the remaining months of the year.
“PhilMech will provide rice processing and drying equipment to more qualified farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and local government units (LGUs), and the acquisition of the processing and drying facilities will be included in the P5-billion allocation,” PhilMech Director Dionisio G. Alvindia said in a virtual briefing.
“PhilMech will also sustain the distribution of farm machines from crop establishment to harvesting,” he added.
In June, the agency began the procurement process for farm machinery covered by the P5-billion allocation for 2022. These modernization initiatives are funded by rice import tariffs channelled into the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
To date, the agency has delivered over 20,000 units of farm machinery worth P15 billion between 2019 and 2021. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson