ARMM distributes farming equipment to Maguindanao farmers

COTABATO CITY - To help farmers increase crop production and reduce post-harvest losses, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) distributed various farming equipment to registered cooperatives and to Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) communities in the province of Maguindanao.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman and lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM’s executive secretary and the concurrent officer-incharge of the region’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, led the distribution of farm machineries and implements on Thursday, November 19, during the opening ceremony of the 26th ARMM anniversary at the ARMM Compound in Cotabato City.

The post-harvest equipment, which include farm tractor with implements, combine harvester with implements, hand tractors with trailers and knapsack sprayers, are estimated to be worth over P20 million.

Atty. Alamia said the fund used in the acquisition and distribution of the farm machineries and implements comes from the Agri-Pinoy Rice and the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) programs.

The Agri-Pinoy Rice program is one of the banner initiatives of the Department of Agriculture targeting rice farming and uplifting the lives of Filipino farmers. The PAMANA program, on the other hand, is the national government’s peace and development framework for conflict-affected areas.

“We urge the farmers to enhance their knowledge on farming technologies to further boost agriculture in the province,” said Atty. Alamia. She reiterated that the farming equipment distributed will help increase agricultural activities of Maguindanaon farmers especially in rice and corn production.

Under the Agri-Pinoy Rice program, the recipients are the Mindanao State University (MSU)-Maguindanao, Al Muizz Farmer and Livelihood Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Ekssalam Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Kalumenga Kadtatabanga Farmers Association.

The PAMANA beneficiaries are ElGrande Farmers MultiPurpose Cooperative, Datu Odin Sinsuat Women’s Producers Cooperative, Talayan Agri-Farm Industry Marketing Cooperative, Tunggol Farmers’ Producers Cooperative, and Greenfield Producers Cooperative.

Bai Soraya Sinsuat, MSU-Maguindanao chancellor, said the farm tractor with implements that the university received will help agriculture students in their academic work, especially in research.

“Pedsukul kami sa ARMM government ka nanggan kami nilan sa mga farm tractor. Makadtabang e nya ba asal a magagan i kapegkumpay nami (We are thankful to the ARMM government for granting us the farm tractor. It will speed up the harvesting of our crops),” said Santiago Belotindos of Tungol Farmers’ Cooperative.

Atty. Alamia said the ARMM’s Agriculture and Fisheries department will distribute machineries and implements to farmers in the other provinces of the region before the end of the year.