Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

First harvest festival reaps significant results
by Jett Molech G. Subaba and April Kate A. Alingasa (March 14, 2023)
With her previous yield of 4.5 tons per hectare using manual transplanting in her rice production, Barangay Chair Rowena Tomas of Brgy. Canbañez, Lapaz, Leyte, was able to experience a 34.67 percent increase (6.06 tons/ha) in yield after using the mechanical rice transplanter under the crop establishment techno-demo project of PHilMech which started on December 7.

This season-long pilot demo, dubbed “Makinaryang Pantanim, Push na 'yan sa Palayan,” concluded with conducting the very first harvest festival of PHilMech in partnership with the local government of La Paz held on March 10 in La Paz, Leyte.

Chair Tomas, the owner of the rice field used for the crop establishment techno-demo expressed her gratitude to PHilMech and the technology as she experienced a significant increment in her three-hectare land area.

Ang paggamit ng mga transplanter na ito ay maraming advantages sa atin. Sa susunod na panahon ng pagtatanim, transplanter pa rin ang gagamitin ko. Maliban sa napaka laking tipid sa production, marami pa ang ani,” Tomas said.

The said yield has even surpassed the municipal average output of four tons per hectare.

Besides the yield, reducing labor cost is also significant in using the mechanical transplanters as it cuts down labor requirement from 12-16 people (manual) per hectare to only two.

Around 90 farmers from the different farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in the province of Leyte were invited to the harvest festival to observe and evaluate the standing crop through a field walk before the harvest proper.

Most of the farmers have conveyed interest in using the machine in the next cropping season.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Hon. Angel A. Sia Jr., the municipal mayor of Lapaz, Leyte expressed his gratitude to PHilMech and highlighted the results of mechanizing the crop establishment operation.

"Nandito na tayo at nakikita na natin ang produkto nang ginawa natin sa buong cropping season na ito. As the municipal mayor of Lapaz, I would like to thank the people who are responsible, especially PHilMech dahil talagang nakakataba ng puso, malaking bagay ito sa aming bayan. Dati nakikinig lang sa radyo sa madaling araw tungkol sa mga makianrya, ngayon dinadala na dito sa atin at nakita nating malaki talaga ang maitutulong sa ating mga magsasaka,” Mayor Sia emphasized.

The Atty. Roque A. Marcos Memorial School (ARAMMS) students who are taking up agriculture and fisheries have also witnessed the event and accepted the challenge to become advocates of the Youth for Mechanization (Y4M) Campaign of PHilMech.