ARMM distributes farm equipment, inputs to Lanao

• Source:http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/armm-distributes-farm-equipment-inputs-to-lanao/
• Thursday, February 18, 2016

(Philippines News Agency)

COTABATO CITY—Farmers in Lanao del Sur are expected to become more productive and boost their income, after the agriculture and fishery department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao distributed P39.2 million worth of farm inputs and equipment, officials said.

The equipment and farm inputs were personally handed over by Secretary Alexander Alonto Jr. of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF-ARMM).

Lanao del Sur farmers are now equipped with four farm tractors, 13 floating tillers, five corn planters, four corn shellers, 10 cassava graters, a combined harvester and a corn hammer mill.

On top of the postharvest equipment, the farmers also received 16,400 bags of hybrid rice and corn seeds.

Alonto said the assistance was part of the government’s efforts to improve the socioeconomic condition of farmers.

He said the Aquino administration has poured in various multimillion-peso development packages into the region to benefit thousands of beneficiaries.

He said the ARMM has never seen this record sum of projects in its entire history, and the regional government wants to ensure that the projects redound to the benefit of the people.

He urged officials and farmer-beneficiaries in the province to support and help sustain the programs and projects in their area.

The provision of farm equipment and inputs to farmers is part of the Agri-Pinoy Rice and Corn Program of the Department of Agriculture. In 2015 the DAF-ARMM also provided similar equipment and inputs to farmers in Maguindanao.