The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) will buy more farm machinery, tools, and equipment to help farmers in Camarines Sur improve their productivity and income amid the El Niño phenomenon under the Major Crop-based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement (MCBFPE) project.

In an interview on Monday, Jay Rupert Mendoza, Camarines Sur agrarian reform program officer, said the Burabod Farmers Agrarian Reform Organization (BFARO) in Burabod, Calabanga, Camarines Sur, will benefit from the interventions worth PHP1.8 million.

“This intervention is under the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) program that provides support, training, and technologies to farmers affected by climate change. We are also expecting these projects to benefit the agrarian reform community of Calabanga with more than 1,000 members. The MCBFPE project will be turned over to the BFARO on March 21-22, 2024 in Burabod, Calabanga, Camarines Sur,” he said.

Mendoza said they conducted critical ARB-participant identification and baseline profiling for the beneficiaries.

“The profiling will discern the specific needs of individual ARB participants, their respective farms, current yield, agricultural practices, and management, encountered challenges, and risk assessment. The project interventions will directly address these issues and help the farmers increase productivity and profitability,” he added.

Mendoza said based on the assessment, a 10 to 20 percent increase in income per season is expected after the turnover.

He said capacity-building activities including training on integrated pest management, equipment operation, and maintenance, and introducing agri-trading business to open new markets and improve economic prospects will be given to the farmers.

In a statement, Renato Bequillo, DAR-Camarines Sur 2 chief, said the project underscores the department’s commitment to improving the lives of agrarian reform beneficiaries through programs that increase productivity and profitability. (PNA)