BACOLOD CITY — The plan to introduce rice block farming in Negros Occidental is seen to complement the efforts of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in improving productivity through farm mechanization.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said Monday the “idea” is good as it will complement the farm mechanization program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Masculino said rice block farming is similar to the concept of service providing.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) earlier said they are eyeing the expansion of block farming program to other crops like rice and corn aside from sugarcane.
In fact, one agrarian reform beneficiaries organization in Kabankalan City is currently on exploration stage of implementing rice block farming in the province.
The provincial government had been exploring a credit guarantee scheme agreement with interested companies in a bid to boost farm mechanization in Negros Occidental.
OPA said mechanization will enable farmers, especially those planting rice, to also improve profitability.
Meanwhile, DAR said block farming will also capacitate farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) to boost production by consolidating their lands and giving them the chance to manage collectively in order to produce more.
Masculino said considering that ARBs have small landholdings, block farming allows them to make their areas become contiguous and appropriate for farm mechanization.
He added that by making associations become service providers, their economies of scale are being improved by incurring lower production cost.
“In essence, mechanization is similar to of block farming as they both employ the concept of collectivity,” Masculino said, adding that OPA can also contribute to the success of rice block farm project in the province. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
