Pangasinan farmers receive P274-million worth of agri-machineries
By Venus May H. Sarmiento
Governor Amado Espino III thanked the national government and benefactors for continuously giving assistance to Pangasinan during the turn-over of P274-million worth of agricultural machineries to Pangasinan farmers (VHS) /and photo shows some of the agricultural machineries given to Pangasinan farmers funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
LINGAYEN,Pangasinan, Feb. 27 (PIA) — Farmers from the six congressional districts of Pangasinan received P274-million worth of agricultural machineries to increase their production or crop yield.
In a ceremony at the Narciso Ramos Sports Complex grounds, the provincial government and the Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHILMECH), turned-over the machineries which were funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
These include: 114 units of four-wheel tractor, 115 units of hand tractor, two precision seeders, three walk-behind rice transplanter, one unit of riding type rice transplanter, 48 rice combine harvester, six rice mills and six mini threshers.
Governor Amado Espino III thanked the national government and benefactors for continuously giving assistance to Pangasinan.
“Kapag may mga equipment, grasya, mga makinaryang dumarating, ang isukli natin ay alagaan ang equipment, ang lupa at ang ating mga sarili. Pagandahin ang ani at kung paano ang pag-asikaso sa lupa, ganoon din ang pag-alaga sa pamilya natin,” Governor Espino said.
Vice-Governor Mark Lambino said the machineries will greatly help in upgrading agriculture in the province.
“Tayo ang isa sa pinakamalaking producers ng primary na pagkain sa ating bansa at kailangan ng tuloy- tuloy na upgrading at support mula sa national government,” the vice-governor quipped.
Consequently, PHILMECH Facility Management and Field Operations Division Chief Joel Dator encouraged the farmers to continue to persevere and give utmost care to the machineries.
“Ang mga equipment na ito ay hindi sana maging dahilan para magkawatak-watak kayo sa inyong asosasyon kundi para magsama-sama, mag-buklod para marami pang maibigay ang gobyerno na tulong,“ Dator advised the farmers-beneficiaries.
He said PHILMECH has earlier conducted training for the farmers on the operation of the equipment.
Meanwhile, in the Laging Handa Network Briefing which featured Zamboanga Del Sur, Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co underscored that the city government also bought a lot of rice threshers, corn shellers, and other machineries for agriculture.
“Our city is really dependent on the lower portion rice fields. We have upper barangays abundant in water because of our waterfalls and rivers which have rice fields but primarily we are a rice-producing city,” Mayor Co said during the recent episode of the briefing anchored by Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. (JCR/VHS/PIA-Pangasinan)
