The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has enhanced the productivity and income of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) by providing rice combine harvesters (RCH) to two ARB organizations, significantly improving their farming operations.
Funded through the DAR’s Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), the Farm Machinery and Equipment (FME) worth PHP3.55 million streamlines the harvesting process and allows ARBs to work faster and with less manual labor and reduce postharvest losses.
Rocky Aborro, chairperson of the Roxas Community Agrarian Reform Cooperative (RCARC) in Brgy. Roxas, expressed gratitude for the support that they received.
“We are very thankful to the DAR for this FME. It is a great help to our cooperative and to all farmers in need. We hope this kind of assistance continues so more ARBs can benefit,” Aborro said in a news release on Wednesday.
The RCH can perform six key operations —gathering, transporting, reaping, threshing, cleaning and bagging— making the harvesting process faster, more efficient and labor-saving.
It can harvest up to three hectares per day, reducing dependency on manual labor and minimizing postharvest losses.
Designed to be climate-resilient, the equipment is well-suited to local conditions, ensuring reliability even in challenging environments.
Lisa Aclo, Board of Director of the Mabini Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (MARBC) in Brgy. Mabini, Surigao City, was equally grateful for the assistance.
“Harvesting will now be easier in our rice fields. Our palay (unhusked rice) will no longer be at risk of rotting. Thank you, DAR, for this invaluable support,” she added.
DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) Crisostomo Bernaldez underscored the impact of the initiative.
“By equipping ARBOs with modern FMEs, DAR is helping ARBs improve efficiency, increase their income and modernize their farming operations,” he said.
This initiative underscores DAR’s commitment to strengthening agrarian reform communities (ARCs), enhancing agricultural productivity, and ensuring a more sustainable future for the ARBs. (PNA)
