Four agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) from the province of Abra received a total of P7,482,000 worth of farm machinery and equipment (FMEs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
The ARBO recipients include Villa Banat Agriculture Co-operative, Abualan Farmers & ARB Agriculture Co-operative, Upper Luba FIA, and Raniag Pakiling Integrated Development Association Inc.
Provided by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the package includes one hauling truck, two four-wheeled drive tractors, six mechanical rice threshers, 10 water pumps, two electric power sprayers, six manual sprayers, four brass cutters, 6 rolls of water hose 2,” 6 rolls water hose 1 and ½,” and three hand tractors, DAR-Abra Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, Mercedes Borongan, said in a statement.
The provision of FMEs is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III to boost the livelihood activities of the ARBOs nationwide.
“It is imperative for you to maximize the use of this equipment in the landholdings awarded to you to fulfill the vision of the government to improve the quality of your lives, enhance your dignity and give your children a brighter future, through greater productivity of your agricultural lands,” she said.
Borongan also encouraged the ARBOs to carefully craft their operational policies to maximize the use of the machinery and equipment.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the DAR for their unwavering support towards our progress and development,” Liberato Bernese, president of the Raniag Pakiling Integrated Development Association Inc. said for her part.
The FMEs provided to the Abra farmers were made possible by DAR through the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program, which aims to enhance and sustain the agricultural productivity of agrarian reform communities as an adaptation measure towards climate change resiliency.