Mechanization will make local farmers more competitive
Players in agriculture are becoming more and more active in promoting farm mechanization as this could be the key to make Filipino farmers more competitive in the global as well as local markets.
The machinery companies are bringing into the country new technologies that could make farming more efficient, more cost-effective, and the products produced are of better quality. This could attract more investors to go into farming, including young entrepreneurs who could really make farming an attractive income generating business.
One of the latest companies to intensify its efforts in promoting farm mechanization is Ada Manufacturing Corporation (Adamco) headed by Ada Alingog, a lady in agribusiness. Adamco is a member of the Ropali Group which is into farm machinery, banking, motorcycles and other businesses.
As part of its efforts to deliver the message of mechanization to the stakeholders is Robin Padilla, the awardwinning movie actor, as the official endorser of Adamco farm machinery and equipment. The products include tractors, rice/corn combine harvesters, rice transplanters, rice and corn threshers, corn shellers, small gasoline and horizontal engines, and other small farm equpment.
The latest to be introduced this year are the Yanmar tractors which are equipped with the SMARTASSISTRemote technology and a mechanical corn seeder. The mechanical corn seeder which comes in four rows and six rows makes corn planting very fast and convenient. The seeds are sown in straight rows and the hills are of uniform distances.
The SMARTASSIST-Remote technology developed by Yanmar of Japan is the first technology of its kind to be introduced in the Philippines by Adamco. This technology allows users to access vital operational information about their tractors through an intuitive user interface which can be accessed from a smartphone.
Its geolocation features allow the operator to see exactly where their equipment is and how it is working. The technology can also issue warnings when machinery is operating outside preset parameters or if the equipment moves beyond designated boundaries. The result is reduced downtime, greater earnings and peace of mind for farmers. SMARTASSIST is standard to both the new tractors that were recently launched in Thailand and which will be distributed by Adamco in the Philippines.
LABOR DISPLACEMENT FEAR ALLAYED –
Roberto P. Alingog, the big boss of the Ropali Group of companies, allayed fears that mechanization would displace a lot of farm laborers in the countryside. The truth, he said, is that they have not received any complaint from workers regarding loss of jobs due to farm mechanization.
Mechanization solves a lot of problems in the farm. Machinery is needed to harvest rice, for instance, because there is not enough farm labor when harvest time comes. He pointed out that most rice varieties mature at the same time and when these are not harvested on time due to scarcity of manual har- vesters, many of the grains are lost due to shattering.
When inclement weather is expected and rice grains are maturing, the use of machinery to harvest the grains will save a lot of the harvest.
Meanwhile, Ada Alingog, Adamco president, assures Adamco’s customers that the company has skilled mechanics that the company employs for the maintnance and repair of Adamco machinery. She said that Adamco offers 100 percent genuine and complete spare parts of the equipment it sells. Adamco also offers customer-friendly terms and flexible financing.