In almost every part of the Philippines, we frequently see carabaos on farm pulling either a plow during the land preparation or a cart during the harvest season. In a study of Maranan (1980), the carabao took 44 hours to plow just a hectare of a rice land. This is so laborious, hence the introduction of two-wheel hand tractors which cut the plowing time down to only 11.3 hours.

This scenario shows that mechanization makes farm operations easier, timely, and cost-effective. It also increases farmers’ yield and income. Thus, the government is pushing the use of farm machines among farmers in the countryside.

Last July 4-7, thousands of farmers from various farmers’ associations (FA), irrigators’ associations (IA) and agriculture and fishery councils (AFC) all-over the country were gathered at the World Trade Center in Pasay City to witness the country’s premier roadshow for agricultural equipment and machinery.

From a simple hand tractor to state-of-the-art mechanical harvesters, name it, and you can find it.
Dubbed as MakinaSaka 2012, the agricultural equipment and machinery roadshow aims to gear up the level of mechanization in the country in support to the Food Self-Sufficiency Program of the Department of Agriculture.

President Benigno S. Aquino III joined the farmers on the second day.He acknowledged the agriculture industry, “Taos puso po tayong nagpapasalamat sa mga magsasaka, mangingisda, at lahat ng kawaning Department of Agriculture sa kanilang hindi matatawarang dedikasyon upang pagyamanin ang pambansang agrikultura… Nananalig ako [na] ang tagumpay ng Makina-Saka 2012 ay magiging isang dambuhalang hakbang tungo sa mas moderno, mas kapaki-pakinabang, at mas matatag na sector ng pagsasaka”. (Our heartfelt gratitude to our farmers, fisherfolk, and to all the staff of the Department of Agriculture on their persistent effort to improve the Philippine agriculture. I believe that Makina Saka 2012 will become a huge step towards a modern, effective, and resilient agriculture industry.)

Farm machines like tractors, rice transplanters, reapers, state-of-the-art mechanical harvesters and multi-pass rice mills were displayed by 84 entities coming from Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association, Inc. (AMMDA), other local farm equipment manufacturers, government institutions and DA agencies. An exhibit showing the evolution of agricultural mechanization in the PhilIppines was also displayed by PHilMech and PhilRice.
MakinaSaka 2012 is a sequel of the successful Agri Mach 2011 roadshow that was organized by DA and PHilMech in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Iloilo City, Iloilo and General Santos City.

Primarily, the exhibition is part of the Rice Mechanization Program of the DA to promote farm modernization in the country to boost the staple production and to curb postharvest losses.The Rice Mechanization of DA through PHilMech which started last year is assisting farmers’ associations to have their own farm and equipment through a counterparting scheme of 85-15 percent.

Through the agricultural equipment exhibition, farmers can meticulously choose the appropriate machines applicable to their local environment conditions.
During his first months in the office, Sec. Proceso J. Alacala made pronouncements that the country will become rice sufficient by 2013 and will no longer import supply from neighboring nations.

This gained commendation from the President, “At mukhang hindi pa ho nakuntento si Kalihim Procy sa hamon na maging self-sufficient tayo sa bigas. Sa pamamagitan ng ating Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP), hindi daw po magtatagal, maging ang iba pang produkto tulad ng mais at cassava, pati ang iba pang prutas at gulay, hindi na rin natin kailangang angkatin pa. Talaga naman pong pinabibilib tayo ni Kalihim Procy at ng lahat ng bumubuo ng Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka”. (It seems that Secretary Procy is not yet satisfied in meeting the challenge of becoming rice self-sufficient. Through the FSSP, sooner or later we will no longer import other crops such as corn, cassava, and event fruit and vegetables. Truly, Secretary Procy and the rest of the Department of Agriculture continue to please us.)
A major part of the FSSP roadmap is to‘raise farm productivity and competitiveness’ through the ‘promotion of mechanization of on-farm operations to bolster farm efficiency, ensure timeliness of farm operations, and reduce unit costs. Provision of appropriate drying facilities to reduce quantity and quality losses that depress farmers’ incomes, and upgrade the rice milling industry’ among others.

The President received roaring applause when he announced that the government increased the budget allocation for farm mechanization project, “Kaya naman, isang bilyong piso ang inilaan natin para bumili ng mahigit 2,300 units ng postharvest machinery at iba pang kagamitan noong 2011. Para naman sa taong ito, ginawa natin itong 2.6 bilyong piso para ipamahagi ang may 7,000 makinang pansaka sa mga grupong magsasaka at mga local na pamahalaan”. (Thus, we had allocated a total of one billion pesos for more than 2,300 units of postharvest machinery and other facilities in 2011. And for this year, we increased it to 2.6 billion pesos for the distribution of 7,000 farm machinery to farmers’ groups and local government units.)

PHilMech, being the prime DA attached agency mandated to promote agricultural mechanization and postharvest development, said that about 10 percent can be added on the available supply of rice in the country through farm mechanization and postharvest interventions.

Engineer Rex L. Bingabing, PHilMech Director, said that through MakinaSaka 2012, more and more FAs and agriculture stakeholders will be encouraged to adopt farm mechanization and postharvest technologies to increase their harvest and reduce postharvest losses.
He said, “The farm mechanization level of the Philippines is 0.52 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha). We want to increase that level to that of Thailand which is 0.8 hp/ha”.

Sources:
Maranan, Celerina L. Comparative Evaluation of Tractor and Carabao Use in Rice Land Preparation. Journal of Philippine Development. 1980