Over P16M farm machinery given to iKalinga farmers under DA’s corn program

Tabuk City, Kalinga - As part of its efforts to boost agricultural productivity in Kalinga, the Department of Agriculture - Cordillera has recently provided P16.1 million worth of farm machinery to three Farmers’ Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) in the province.

The beneficiaries are the Timpuyog Agriculture Cooperative (TAC), Bakir Corn and Vegetable Farmers Association (BCVFA), and Gumawisan Mapaco Farmers Association (GMFC) in Rizal, Kalinga.

As cited by the agency in its press release, 1 re-circulating dryer amounting to P2.9 million and 1 combined harvester with an allocated amount of P2.09 million were given to TAC, while BCVFA and GMFA each received 2 units of 90-horsepower 4-wheel-drive tractors, amounting to P2.9 million.

The aforementioned interventions were distributed to the FCAs during the turnover ceremony on September 21, 2024, in Liwan West, Rizal.

This initiative, part of DA’s corn program, aims to help the corn farmers in the country increase both their corn and rice production, allowing them to achieve a higher yield and earn more income.

During said ceremony, Kalinga Provincial Agriculture Office Chief Domingo Bakilan advised the FCAs to set up a policy that all income derived from using the given machinery must benefit their respective cooperative members.

Meanwhile, Bentres Goyo, the DA-CAR Assistant Agriculture Provincial Coordinating Office (APCO) - Kalinga, reminded the farmers to abide by the memorandum of agreement with the Agency to ensure that the farm machinery will be used only for its intended purpose.