***CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Various group of farmers in Pampanga together with Governor Lilia “Nanay” G. Pineda lauded yesterday the administration of President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III and the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the distribution of farm equipment and machineries.

A total of P10, 388, 346 worth of farm machineries and equipment were given to farmers group in the province to help them increase production and reduce post-harvest losses.

The lady governor who led the distribution, said these were given to qualified farmers group, cooperatives, and irrigators association through the farm mechanization program (FMP) of the DA wherein the province had a counter parting agreement.

Under the agreement, the DA subsidized the 85 percent of the amount of equipment and the 15 percent supposed obligation of the farmers was shouldered by the provincial government.

The governor said the farmers in the province have so much reason to thank President PNoy for his various support to the farming sector in the province which led to the provision of descent life to the families of the farmers.

Governor Pineda said her administration is working in line with the priority agenda of President Aquino particularly his program on agriculture and food security.

She ensured that the Capitol is continuously working with the DA and other concerned agencies to provide opportunity to agriculture sector.

The governor said the farm equipment were given for free because the Capitol paid the 15 percent share of the farmers.

Distributed during the event are as follows: rice transplanters, trailers, hand tractors, and four wheel tractors with accessories and also post harvest machineries like laminated sacks, rice shredders, threshers and combined rice harvesters.

Maria David, president of the city and municipal agriculture officers explained that the equipment given to the land-tillers would surely increase their production and income.

“Equipment is one of the major problems of the farmers. They spend much for the rent of machineries or for the payment of hired farm workers. This equipment given to them will reduce their production cost and will increase their income,” said David.

“Based on our evaluation, there is a huge change in the condition of our Cabalen farmers who received the equipment. Some of them are now earning better because of the lesser production cost. This is a big development in the agriculture sector in the province,” David added.

“The instruction of Gov. Pineda is to give the farm machineries for free. This made true because the provincial government shouldered the counterpart of the farmers in the purchase of the equipment,” said David.

Victorio Lacson of the Cruzian Multi-purpose Cooperative in Magalang commended the support given by the national and the Pineda administration to the farmers group in the province.

“We have felt the support given by the national and provincial government for the past years. Thank you President PNoy and Gov. Pineda for the importance you have imparted to our sector,” he said.

Danny Tangcuangco said, president of Lanang Irrigators Association from Candaba said the new equipment will lessen their production cost and will make their work easier.

“One of the expenses in planting is the rental for equipment. Now with the hand tractors with trailers that we received we don’t need to rent the machine and also we don’t need to pay P7 to P10 per sack for the hauling,” Tangcuangco said.