THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said on Wednesday it turned over P72 million worth of farm equipment to 100 agrarian-reform beneficiaries’ organizations ARBOs in Eastern Visayas.
The DAR said it turned over a total of 184 common service facilities (CSFs) to help farmers in the province who are still reeling from the devastation caused by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan).
DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Rosalina Bistoyong said the equipment were farm implements recommended by state universities and colleges (SUCs) commissioned by the DAR to conduct the needs- and design-assessment under the Agrarian Reform Communities Connectivity and Economic Support Services (Arccess) project.
The farm implements included 86 hand tractors worth P15.01 million, 58 rice threshers (P10.1 million), 17 floating tillers (P3.5 million), 12 rice reapers (P2.09 million), eight four-wheel drive 90-horsepower tractors (P30.5 million), two four- wheel drive 120-horsepower tractors (P7.9 million) and one four-wheel drive 35-horsepower tractor (P2.9 million).
Bistoyong said that under Arccess, the DAR aims to develop the capabilities of the ARBOs in becoming farmer-entrepreneurs.
“With the CSFs and intensive trainings from various professional service providers, the government is expecting a great improvement in farmers’ quality of life,” she added.
DAR Regional Director Sheila Enciso said that among the projects of the ARBOs are rice production and marketing, cassava production and processing, organic vegetable production, coco coir and geotextile production, banana production and diversified cropping system.
Some ARBOs received more than one equipment based on the recommendations of the SUCs.
Enciso added that 12 ARBOs in the Fourth District of Leyte that are into rice production and marketing were awarded six hand tractors with implements, six rice threshers and six rice reapers.