DA readies study on mechanized farming

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) will conduct benchmarking studies to determine the mechanization levels on the production of rice, corn and sugarcane as part of its efforts to modernize farmers’ production systems.

The DA has formed a technical working group (TWG) composed of experts from various attached agencies of the department and academe to undertake the baseline studies.

Senior Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban issued Special Order (SO) 168 that authorized the creation of the TWG, which will be chaired by Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering Director Engr. Ariodear C. Rico.

The members of the TWG will come from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippine Center for Mechanization and Postharvest Development, Philippine Rice Research Institute, Sugar Regulatory Administration, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, National Corn Program and BAFE.

The TWG is tasked to review and assess the existing methods of computing the mechanization index (MI) of rice, corn and sugarcane.

The TWG will also harmonize the varying considerations, methodologies, data capture, forms etc. of the gathered methods of computation to come up with a uniform protocol of MI computation.

The TWG will also initiate gathering of pertinent data that shall be used in the computation of the MI for the selected commodities, which includes national inventory of machinery, total area of arable lands used, specifications of the machinery, among others.

The DA has also tasked the TWG to “identify mechanization gaps and machinery requirements in the rice, corn, and sugarcane production systems.”

The TWG will also provide the policy recommendations to attain the target level of mechanization in the rice, corn and sugarcane production systems.