LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), in its regular session on August 5, approved a resolution authorizing Governor Ramon V. Guico III to execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Deed of Donation with the Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization (PHILMECH) for the provision of various farm machinery and post-harvest facilities in support of the province’s Corporate Farming Program.
Authored by SP Member Nicholi Jan Louie Sison, the resolution stated that agricultural mechanization and adoption of post-harvest technology will improve farm work efficiency, help maximize yield, reduce post-harvest losses, and maintain product quality, resulting in increased yield and profitability.
Corporate farming is the brainchild of Gov. Guico. It was implemented to enhance food production and make farming a profitable and sustainable economic enterprise in line with the national government’s food sufficiency thrust through the Masagana Program for Agriculture.
“Pangasinan’s Corporate Farming Program Convergence Strategy endeavors to demonstrate food production cost efficiency through a farm consolidation approach, increase production yield by optimum utilization of production inputs, farm machinery, and the adoption of a package of technologies (POT), and rekindle the Bayanihan spirit among agriculture stakeholders, particularly LGUs and farmer cooperative associations (FCAs),” the resolution disclosed.
The agricultural provisions included in the Deed of Donation include one unit of a four-wheel tractor; one unit of a rice combine harvester; two units of riding-type mechanical transplanters; six units of walk-behind transplanters; two units of rice mills; and two units of a mechanical recirculating dryer.
Provincial Agriculturist Dalisay Moya said 23 municipalities are now involved in corporate farming. At present, about 685 farmers and 25 farmer cooperatives are benefiting from the program, which now covers about 650 hectares of agricultural land.
PHILMECH is an agency attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA), which is mandated to implement projects geared towards agriculture modernization and post-harvest technology development through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
(Ruby F. Rayat, Joey Olimpo/PIMRO)
