ILOILO CITY — Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol turned over some PHP75.6 million worth of machinery and equipment to farmers associations from Aklan, Iloilo and Capiz on Friday.
The equipment was purchased using the Yolanda Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (YRRP) in line with its goal of encouraging more farmers to mechanize as strategy to lessen farm losses.
The province of Aklan received 94 units of various equipment worth PHP17.284 million; Capiz has 196 amounting to PHP32.47 million and Iloilo received 170 equipment worth PHP25.884 million.
Aklan received 15 units of floating tiller, 50 units of rice reaper, six units of shredder and corn sheller, and 15 pump and engines;
Capiz got 30 units of floating tiller; 100 units rice reaper; nine units each of shredder and corm sheller and 45 pump and engines;
Iloilo was given 20 units of floating tiller; 100 units of rice reaper, seven shredders and 12 corm sheller and 30 pump and engines.
The equipment will be managed by farmers’ associations that will devise a scheme on how it can be availed by its farmer-member.
Friday’s mass distribution is the first activity by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for this year.
Next week, Piñol will be in Antique to distribute farm equipment in Antique
The turnover was witnessed by DA Assistant Secretary Hansel Didulo and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor. (PNA)
