MANILA, July 11 (PNA) — As the country moves forward with its Food Self-Sufficiency Program, the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday welcomed the enactment of Republic Act 10601, otherwise known as the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law, and said that the landmark legislation would have a significant impact on farm production in the countryside.

The AFMech law was signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III on June 5, 2013.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said mechanizing Philippine agriculture and fisheries will greatly improve the country’s land and labor efficiency.

“This will significantly increase farm production and income presently earned by our farmers as more cropping intensities would be pursued,” Alcala said.

Likewise, the DA chief said that mechanizing agriculture would reduce post-harvest losses which now stand between 10 to 37 percent for rice and 30 percent for corn.

Alcala added that mechanization would diversify farms and farm products, particularly the intercropping of the 2.1 million hectares of coconut lands that have remained idle or underutilized for many years.

But more importantly, the DA said the timely enactment of the AFMech Law would address the dismal situation of agricultural and fisheries mechanization in the country.

Based on the findings of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAFC), an agency attached to the DA, the Philippines is second to last among countries using machineries in agriculture. Only Bangladesh is in a worse situation than us.

According to the NAFC, the dire situation is caused by limited farmers’ access to appropriate and affordable farm machinery and equipment; the proliferation of substandard agro-fishery machinery and equipment; and inadequate and fragmented support services.

“These problems will be addressed by the AFMech Law,” Alcala said.

Under the law, local manufacturing of agro-fishery machinery and equipment shall be strengthened through joint venture and granting of incentives to local manufacturers and assemblers to lower investment costs and create employment opportunities in the countryside.

To curb the proliferation of substandard agro-fishery machinery and equipment, the law prohibits the selling, mortgaging or leasing of agro-fishery machinery and equipment without being registered with the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE); the selling of said machinery and equipment without warranty or after-sales service; and operating a testing center without proper accreditation from the DA.

"Under the law, farmers and other individuals shall now be guaranteed to be supplied with quality agro-fishery machinery and equipment," Alcala said.

All machineries and equipment owned and operated by farmers or any individuals shall likewise now be registered in the respective local government units.

Alcala said that said registration would protect the owners from theft and,farmers can now use such registration documents as loan collateral.

To fix the fragmented and inadequate support services for agro-fishery mechanization, the law provides for the creation of the BAFE and Regional Agricultural Engineering Divisions of the DA to be manned by licensed agricultural engineers;

Strengthen the NAFC’s Agricultural and Fishery Mechanization Committee as the advisory body on agro-fishery mechanization at the national and local levels;

Strengthen the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) to plan and coordinate agro-fishery mechanization research and extension activities; and strengthen the Agricultural Machinery Testing Center (AMTEC) among others.

Alcala said that the DA is all set to implement the AFMech Law and is now in the midst of crafting the law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

He said that the IRR would be launched on September 24 of this year in time for the holding of the First ASEAN Conference on Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering which will be held at the Manila Hotel. [By Cielito M. Reganit (PNA) FPV/CMR]

Source: DA says Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law will contribute to national food security