MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) with the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) said that it gave P17.5 million worth of farming machines to beneficiaries in Zambales on Friday.
READ: Rice farmers get P400M worth of agri machinery
The machinery, which was part of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund of the PHilMech which aims to help farmers, was distributed to 18 farming associations.
Regional Technical Director for Operations Eduardo Lapuz, Jr. told beneficiaries to take good care of the machinery, and that the DA will support them as it aims for food sufficiency.
“Ang hiling lang po namin ay ingatan po ninyo itong mga makinaryang ito upang magamit po ninyo nang matagal, patuloy po sana kayong sumuporta sa aming mga programa at kami naman po sa Department of Agriculture ay patuloy rin na susuporta sa inyo sa abot ng aming makakaya, upang makamit po natin ang inaasam natin na food sufficiency sa bansa,” Lapuz said.
(We wish that you take good care of these machines so that they last long and that you continually support us in our programs, and we in the Department of Agriculture will support you in our capacity to reach our goal of national food sufficiency.)
In December 2023, the PhilMech also distributed around P398 million of agricultural machinery in Nueva Ecija.
READ: New farming technologies may attract youth to farming– Bongbong Marcos