By Leilani S. Junio
MANILA, Nov. 22 (PNA) — The need to intensify mechanization in rice farming, or equipping farmers with modernized farming machinery as a support to attaining the goal of food self-sufficiency was highlighted during the Asia Rice Foundation’s Rice Forum 2013 in Quezon City on Friday.
“For this year, we see it as most fitting time to focus on the creation of concrete road map for rice farming mechanization,” Dr. Emil Q. Javier, ARF vice chairman, stressed in his opening remarks at the forum held at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) Auditorium near the Quezon Memorial Circle.
Javier noted that the use of machine is definitely the better option now, like in the case of land preparation, especially by farmers in displaced areas due to climate change.
He said there is a need to review the status of the country’s farm mechanization for the last 50 years.
“Our country’s farms are among the least mechanized in Southeast Asia, using only 0.5 horsepower per hectare (hp/a) in comparison to Vietnam and Thailand which have higher mechanization rate of 0.7 hp/ha, while fully mechanized Japan uses 7 hp/ha,” he pointed out.
According to Javier, the said countries are top rice producing and exporting nations from which the Philippines should pattern itself in order to strengthen its rice production capabilities.
For his part, Engr. Aldrin Badua of the Philippine Center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMECH) noted that “Asian countries with successful mechanization programs have high power input in the farm.”
Badua said that the program is expected to increase farmer’s income by around 15 percent.
“It will increase farmer’s production and yield, while it lessens the cost of production per kilogram and realize value-adding activities like processing while decreasing cost of post-harvest process like harvesting, threshing, drying and milling cost,” he explained.
He also said that it has several advantages like in terms of land preparation, it will yield faster operation, creating uniform depth and soil conditioning, good weed control and good land leveling.
In terms of planting, it has faster operation at 1-2 hectares per day, requiring less labor optimum and there is uniform distance of seedlings between the soil.
Badua added that as the mechanization brings ease to the farmers, the harvesting, threshing, proper and immediate drying will also bring about modernization of the milling industry.
“This is a good plan for the agricultural sector and this is the biggest program in support of the farmers to increase their productivity level, especially now that our country is experiencing climate change,” he stressed.
Under the mechanization plan, it is proposed that 85 percent of the cost of equipment will be shouldered by the government while the remaining 15 percent will be cash-out by the farmers.
The rice mechanization program is provided under Republic Act No. 10601, also known as the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III on June 5, 2013 as part of the promotion of development and adoption of modern, appropriate and cost-effective and environmentally-safe agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment.
It aims to enhance farm productivity and efficiency in order to achieve food security and safety and increase farmer’s income, among others. (PNA)