SOCCSKSARGEN, August 30, 2022 – To increase rice production, seventeen (17) farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from the provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat each received rice threshers worth Php 2,550,000 under FY 2022 Integrated Upland Rice with Vegetable Production and Postharvest Equipment Support from the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program. 

Distributed on August 23, the threshers will help the 473 farmers harvest their grain by beating the plant to produce palay seeds. Prior to this project, the beneficiaries practice conventional harvesting which includes cutting, tying in bundles, and heaping mature rice crops to dry before threshing. Manual beating is labor intensive with poor threshing performance that causes grain losses and damage. The use of improved postharvest technology will lead the farmers to advance their rice production from subsistence to commercial production.

Six rice threshers each were turned over to Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat FAs and five in Sarangani. The management office has also provided technical assistance to the beneficiaries through demonstrations on how to use the gas-powered machine – from the positioning of the threshing machine to loading the feed tray with the uniform rate of the harvested crop, and maintenance and service.Table 1. Recipients of postharvest machinery

Moroland Farmers Association president, Farida Ulama Kadil expressed his gratitude and shared, “Panginsukuren kami sa kano langon na empleyado na DA-XII labi-labi den sa SAAD Program sa kina enggay nilan salkami sa rice thresher masla a tabang salkami a miskinan a manga taliawid. Dili kami den maka-gastos sa threshing fee. Sukran gayd sa SAAD Program.”

(Our sincere thanks to the DA-XII employees, especially the SAAD Program for providing us with this rice thresher. This is a big help for us poor farmers since we will no longer spend money from our pockets for threshing fee. Thank you so much, SAAD Program.) 

“Daghang salamat Ma’am sa proyektong inyong gihatag sa amua, kining makina nga pang-uma dako kaayo ni nga tabang para sa amua, ilabi na nga pareha sa amua nga pobre nga dili makapalit og mga makinang sama sa ginahatag ni SAAD,” added Ms. Mary Joy B. Cabasag, President of Mahayahay Women FA.

(We are very grateful for the project Ma’am. This farm machine is a great help for us because we are financially unstable – belonging to the poorest of the poor who can’t afford to buy a machine.)

These 17 FCAs are existing corn and rice growers for upland and lowland areas in the three provinces. Each FCA farmed a 20-hectare production area. 

In the last quarter of 2022, they are also set to receive the remaining inputs of the project such as rice seeds, pinakbet seeds, and fertilizers. 

The distribution was led by SAAD Regional Focal Person Julie Mie Y. Belongan together with the regional and provincial SAAD staff, and Engr. Melanie Buisan from the DA Regional Agricultural Engineering Division. Municipal Agriculturists Hector Nidoy and Cherry Ann Difuntorum of Columbio and Senator Ninoy Aquino also witnessed the activity. ###

Writers:

Jennifer Valcobero, DA-SAAD NPMO Information Officer
Aisa Tina, DA-SAAD 12 Information Officer

Source of Photos and Data: DA-SAAD 12