At least nine associations of farmers in this city have received farm machinery from the City Agriculture Office (CAO).

In an interview on Monday, Mayor Geraldine Rosal said the units of farm equipment were provided in response to the call of the national government to boost rice production.

She said the distribution held on June 2 was part of the city’s agricultural mechanization program to strengthen the industry and improve productivity, particularly of palay which is considered as the main staple of Filipinos.

“This distribution of farm equipment will help motivate the rice farmers to continue to engage in rice farming activities because they can feel that the Legazpi city government and the administration of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. are now seriously helping the agricultural sector that is providing food for public consumption,” Rosal said.

She said the machinery will capacitate farmers in contributing to the food security and rice sufficiency programs of the city government.

City Agriculturist Shiela Nas, in a separate interview, said the nine farmer associations are all accredited by the CAO and all their members were officially enrolled with the Registry System for Basic Sector of Agriculture (RSBSA) as required by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

RSBSA is the registry of farmers, fisher folks and farm laborers that serve as a targeting mechanism for the identification of beneficiaries for different agriculture-related programs and services of the government.

Nas said the duly registered organizations that received the farm equipment include the Cagbacong farmers association which received a water pump and one unit of rice reaper and the Banquerohan farmers association that received two water pumps and a thresher.

The other beneficiaries which received water pumps include the Pawa Agriculture Cooperative and Arimbay Irrigators Association.

Nas said the CAO will manage the operation of the rice mill and thresher machines but all the farmers’ associations could request for free use of these machines.

Joana Valladolid, councilor of Barangay Banquerohan, said the distribution of machinery is a big blessing to all the farmers because it can help improve productivity and increase their income.

“We have 209 members of the Banquerohan farmers association that are cultivating 68 hectares of rice field, that’s why we are one of the big contributors of palay production here in Legazpi,” she noted. (PNA)