DA 11 strengthens Agri-Fishery Mechanization

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=826309
• Thursday, November 12, 2015

By Cherry Mae D. Palicte [(PNA), CTB/LCM/CMDP/LDP]

DAVAO CITY, Nov. 12 (PNA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office held a Mindanao-wide consultation and drafting of Regional Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Plan (RAFMechP) to enhance farm productivity and fast track the adoption of farm mechanization in the country.

Composed of implementers, academe, farmers’ organizations, and local manufacturers, the consultation aims to provide recommendations, voice out suggestions and concerns regarding agri-mechanization for the benefit of the agricultural sector especially the farmers and fisherfolk.

DA Regional Director Remelyn Recoter said RAFMechP is under the National Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Program (NAFMP) associated with the Agricultural and Fishery Mechanization (AFMech) Law, otherwise known as Republic Act (RA) 10601 which was passed to address the agri-mechanization concerns of the country.

In the drafting and review of the RAFMP per region, five components of the NAFMP must be considered which include the Support Services, Provisions of Quality and Safe Machines, Local Manufacturing to lower down the cost of agri-machineries, Research Development and Extension, and Human Resource Development.

The NAFMP is an ongoing project which will cover FY 2016-2022 with a proposed national budget of 8 billion pesos for the year 2017 which is expected to increase after the NAFMP is fully furnished.

Based on a data from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) (2011), the Philippines ranked as one of those Asian countries with a low level of farm mechanization. Mechanization is the use of machines necessary for the production, harvest, handling, and processing of agri-fisheries products.

Philippines is an agricultural-based country of which 32% or 9.7 million hectares of its land area is devoted to intensive cultivation.

Director Recoter said the crafting of plans is a significant step to enhance farm productivity in the agriculture areas which will further create jobs and improve farm productivity.

She added that farm mechanization enable farmers to overcome the challenges of ASEAN economic integration.

“If the country wants to compete with the ASEAN economic integration trend, the Philippine agriculture needs to fully implement farm mechanization,” Recoter stressed.