DA-NorMin’s P6.2-M agri-interventions to boost farm productivity DALWANGAN, MALAYBALAY CITY, BUKIDNON, May 21- The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao (DA- 10) turned over P6.2 million agricultural interventions to farmer organizations and a local government unit in Bukidnon. Under the DA-Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) machineries and equipment worth P5.9 million aims to help improve productivity and reduce poverty among the marginalized sectors in agriculture. The local government of Talakag, Bukidnon received three units 35 horsepower mini four-wheel drive farm tractors with implements and two units corn mechanical sheller amounting P3.2 million. The Upper Patag Growers and Farmers Associations, Inc. of Lantapan, Bukidnon received one unit rice combine harvester, one unit 35 horsepower four-wheel drive farm tractors with implements which include rotavator and trailer amounting P2.6 million. “The need to increase the level of farm mechanization, to produce more food efficiency and quality will be beneficial both for farmers and consumers,” said Carlene C. Collado, OIC-Regional Executive Director of DA-10. RED Collado explained, farm machinery will boost farming activities and ensure high production and reduce postharvest losses. DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) reported that postharvest losses for corn accounts to 7.18 percent and 16.47 percent for rice, from harvesting, piling, hauling, shelling, drying and storage. He has been emphasizing the need for farmers to adopt the different agri-machinery and equipment innovations to increase the country’s mechanization rate from 2.31 horsepower per hectare to 4 hp per hectare. “Dako ug ikatabang ang mga makinarya kay ang wala na develop nga yuta tungod kay kulang sa galamiton maka expand na. Dako pasalamat namo sa Ginoo nga natabangan mi sa DA,” said Reynaldo Berdi, President of Dominorog Small Farmers Association of Dominorog, Talakag, Bukidnon. [The machinery would be a big help in developing and expanding our farm. We’re thankful to God with DA's assistance.] DA-SAAD is a locally-funded program of the agency that addresses poverty alleviation among the marginalized sectors in agri-fishery. Through this program, provinces with high poverty incidence rate have been given assistance in agri-fisheries since 2017. Included in the turnover of agri-interventions were six units, 500-egg capacity automatic egg incubators amounting P306,372 under the Livestock Program of the agency. The project intends to provide livelihood enterprise to qualified recipients who may engage in balut business, selling of days-old-chicks and production of live chicken or poultry meat. The incubator comes with a module of 10 male and 100 female chicken or ducks as start-up agribusiness kit. Six association-beneficiaries in Bukidnon received one unit each which comprised, the QUARBA Farmers Cooperative and Ambong Womens Organization of Impasug-ong; Dologon Fisherfolk Livelihood Association of Maramag; Bethany Christian Home for Children of Talakag; Kalilangan Cassava Farmers Association of Kalilangan and J.A Agro Employees Farmers Beneficiary Association of Quezon. .