In the recent turn-over of agricultural machinery to farmers groups in Negros Occidental by Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) under the Department of Agricuture’s Rice Competitivess Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program, Cong. Kiko in a message read for him by Provincial Board Member Andrew Montelibano, pushed for more investment to transform farms into smart farms and to further build the capacity of farmers to understand processes that affect soil fertility, water flow and waste to improve farm productivity.

As he cited the opportunities provided by the grant-in-kind assistance to the Farmers Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs), he challenged the agricultural agencies to further accelerate modernizing of farms, introduce new technologies and agro-ecological methods that will help ensure food security and promote economic growth.

In the Third District, three FCAs received machinery worth P 8.4 M – the RiceBIS Negros Agrarian Reform Cooperative led by Donato Melgaso from Murcia, and from Victorias City, the Sikaba Ilian-Mimi Famers Irrigators Association headed by Asuncion Cesar, and the Barangay Gawahon Kinaruyan Irrigators Association with Michael Caulbar as president.

The farming equipment consisting of four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, floating tiller, riding transplanter, rice reaper and rice combine harvester will reduce cost of rice production and post-harvest losses as well.

The turn-over program was led by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and PhilMech Director Baldwin Jallorina and was held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.*