Five four-wheel tractors and additional agricultural machinery are distributed to Zambales farmers through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Mechanization Program. (Photo courtesy of DA-PHilMech)

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales – The local government is encouraging farmers in Zambales to maximize the use of new agricultural machinery provided by the government to boost production and sustain the province’s agricultural industry.

In a statement on Thursday (Nov. 7), Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said that mechanization is essential for improving farming efficiency and addressing gaps in agricultural production and farmer income.

On Tuesday, agricultural equipment worth P32 million was distributed to 24 farmer groups across Zambales.

These tools were provided through the Department of Agriculture’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program, implemented in partnership with the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech).

The distributed machinery includes five units of four-wheel tractors, eight levee makers, five power take-off disc plows, three rice combine harvesters, two precision rice seeders, a single-pass rice mill, and a multi-stage rice mill with a milling capacity of 1.5 tons per hour.

“This should be a game-changer for our farmers. Mechanization has shown to attract the younger generation to farming, which remains the biggest industry in Zambales,” Ebdane said.

READ: DA readies P510.4M subsidies to farmers

The RCEF Mechanization Program aims to boost local rice farmers’ productivity and income by providing machinery and equipment, as well as support for rice seed development, credit assistance, and rice extension services.

Since 2019, Zambales has received 354 agricultural machines valued at P283 million, benefiting 188 farmer groups and local government units.

The province, the second largest in Central Luzon, remains a largely agricultural region. Its palay production has grown from over 90,000 metric tons (MT) in 2003 to nearly 160,000 MT in 2020.

Santa Cruz, the northernmost town in the province, led in rice production with 23,559 MT in 2023, followed by San Narciso with 19,515 MT, and Palauig with 13,290 MT.

However, Leocadio Sebastian, a member of the DA’s technical advisory group, noted during the International World Rice Conference in Manila on Wednesday that the country may need to import up to 4.2 million MT of rice by year-end due to production shortfalls caused by recent typhoons.

Cathy Estavillo, secretary-general of Amihan and spokesperson for Bantay Bigas, highlighted the need for government support to help affected farmers recover, warning that without compensation for losses, food security and self-sufficiency would be at risk.

“The government’s response is always importation instead of supporting local farmers and boosting production,” Estavillo said.

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She added: “We’ve repeatedly called on authorities not to use disasters as a reason to importsuperace88, but to invest in local agricultural development instead.”

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