The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed on Tuesday PHP10.58 million worth of farm machinery and farm inputs to 17 agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) in Pangasinan.

Jesus Pascua, one of the farmer-beneficiaries, thanked the national government for the farm machinery and inputs they have been receiving.

“Hindi po kami pinapabayaan ng DAR at nang gobyerno (DAR and the national government have not been neglecting us),” Pascua said in an interview.

Mayor Kenneth Marco Perez thanked the government and asked the beneficiaries to utilize and “take good care” of the inputs they were given.

DAR Secretary Bernie Cruz said the distribution is under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) and the Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market and Microfinance (LinkSFarMM) projects.

The five ARBOs from towns of Agno, Aguilar, Bayambang, Villasis, and Umingan received five 4WD farm tractors with 39.41 four-horsepower engineer-related power, and 250 stainless manual knapsack sprayers with a total worth of PHP5.6 million under CRFPS’ major crop-based block farm productivity enhancement project.

They also got complete fertilizer, insecticide, monggo seeds, squash seeds, red onion seeds, peanut seeds, upo (gourd) seeds, ampalaya (bitter gourd) seeds, tomato seeds, eggplant seeds, patola (silk squash) seeds, and sitaw (string beans) seeds costing PHP620,107.

Under CRFPS Sustainable Livelihood Support for Disaster-Affected Areas, beneficiaries from the towns of Dasol, Urbiztondo, San Jacinto, San Carlos, Balungao, and Sison received five heavy-duty 24 horsepower engine pumps, five 7 horsepower diesel engine pumps, two brand new motorcycles with kolong-kolong (carrier), and 180 stainless manual knapsack sprayers worth PHP1.86 million.

They also got PHP461,450 worth of tomato seeds, red hot chili pepper seeds, eggplant seeds, siling panigang (green chili pepper) seeds, monggo seeds, pole beans, squash seeds, seedling trays, bottles of insecticide, and bags of complete fertilizer.

Under LinkSFarMM, beneficiaries from the towns of Bautista and Bani received two pick-up trucks and farm inputs worth PHP1.64 million.

The ARBOs from the towns of Bayambang, Umingan, Sta. Barbara, and Alaminos City got farm inputs such as tomato seeds, red hot chili pepper seeds, siling panigang seeds, monggo seeds, squash seeds, red onion seeds, upo seeds, ampalaya seeds, herbicides, and insecticides costing PHP376,874. (PNA)