DAR to hand 19M machineries to farmer
orgs in Caraga
BUTUAN CITY -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office in Caraga revealed its recent procurement of various farm machineries and equipment for the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) of Caraga amounting to Php19 million.
The farm machineries include four units of four-wheel drive tractors, four units of rice and combine harvesters, and two hauling trucks under the Sustainable and Resilient (SuRe) Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) of the Climate-Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program (CRFPSP).
Said machineries and equipment will be used to support and sustain farmers’ outputs and reinvigorate their crop production.
According to DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, the provision of these farm machinery aims to reduce the effects linked to the various livelihood crises triggered by climate change, volatile commodity prices, the COVID-19 global pandemic and impending food shortage.
Estrella further said that this activity is DAR’s way of bringing government services closer to the farmers. “This is also in support of the goal of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to improve the lives of the farmers through the provision of various support services,” he added.
True to his promises, interventions for support services to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) is one out of nine of the secretary's land reform priorities which he plans to accomplish within his term.
The funds utilized to procure the farm machinery form part of the larger remaining Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF) worth Php 34.47 billion which was specifically allocated to complement the existing 2022 budget and increase for 2023. Php 8 billion of which is programmed by the presidential administration to boost the agricultural sector of the country and improve the quality of lives of the department’s ARBs through the provision of support services such as farm tools and equipment, communal irrigation systems, farm-to-market roads, and technical assistance, among others.
As such, the farm machines are projected to positively impact the productivity of nine (9) ARBOs all across the region, which in turn would also improve the lives of its 1,450 individual ARBs by opening business opportunities and increasing employment in the countryside.
Through the guidance and effective management of DAR Caraga Regional Director Atty. Merlita S. Capinpuyan and under the steadfast leadership of Secretary Estrella, the department was able to overcome the challenges of procuring said farm machines despite the short timeframe they were given to work with.
Director Capinpuyan stated, “We always try to do our best here at DAR in providing assistance for our farmer beneficiaries. Not only because it is naturally our mandate, but also because of our strong commitment in delivering the services due to our beneficiaries.”
Secretary Estrella is expected to personally turn over the farm machineries, along with all other key DAR officials, to its respective ARBO recipients anytime this January. (Christian I. Lafuente, PIO, DAR Caraga/PIA Caraga)
