Gov’t rolls out 35,000 farm machines

MANILA, Philippines — The government distributed nearly 35,000 farm machines to local farmers to speed up operations and reduce postharvest losses, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) delivered 34,721 production and postharvest machines from 2019 to the first half of 2026.

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From 2019 to 2025, PHilMech provided 32,990 machines to 7,588 farmers’ cooperatives, associations, and local government units.

By end-June, the agency distributed 1,731 units, or nearly 76 percent, of the 2,289 machines procured under its 2025 Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocation.

The rollout included 900 four-wheel tractors, 700 combine harvesters, 95 recirculating dryers, and 36 precision seeders, benefiting 1,238 farmer groups and local government units.

“PHilMech also completed procurement of all machines under the 2025 budget, with the remaining units scheduled for distribution,” the DA said Monday.

“Mechanization lowers labor costs, speeds up critical farm operations and minimizes losses from planting to postharvest. These improvements translate directly into higher productivity, better grain quality and increased incomes for our rice farmers,” it added.

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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government is building an integrated system that helps farmers harvest, dry, and mill palay more efficiently, reduce waste, and increase earnings.

“Mechanization is also becoming increasingly important as our farming population ages. Modern equipment allows our farmers to continue cultivating their land with less physical strain while helping address labor shortages during planting and harvest,” Tiu Laurel said.

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Machinery boosts farm mechanization

PHilMech data showed mechanization levels rose to 2.81 horsepower per hectare from 2.68 hp/ha in 2022, driven largely by combine harvesters and four-wheel tractors. The agency expects the level to reach 3.40 hp/ha as RCEF expands.

PHilMech leads the RCEF mechanization program, which distributes production and postharvest machinery to eligible beneficiaries nationwide. The program is funded by the RCEF, created under the Rice Tariffication Law with an annual P30-billion budget to boost rice farmers’ income and competitiveness.

Since 2019, PHilMech found that mechanization cut labor costs by about P2 per kilogram of palay, increasing farmers’ income by around P9,000 per hectare.

The study covered 895 farmers’ cooperatives and 5,428 farmers across 57 provinces. It estimated that RCEF beneficiaries gained P2.66 billion in additional annual income.

Mechanization also prevented an estimated 31,841 metric tons of postharvest losses annually, valued at about P541.3 million in rice. /pai INQ