The Department of Agrarian Reform distributed Wednesday P2.2 million worth of farm machineries for farmers in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer 1 Roland Gareza, said yesterday.

Gareza said that the machineries distributed included 13 rice threshers with 8 HP Engines and 13 Power Tillers with 10HP Engines to be used by 817 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries from three organizations, and 580 non-Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries.

He said a thresher costs P108,000 and the floating tillers cost P68,000 each.

Gareza added that 95 percent of the cost of the machineries was funded by the Department of Budget and Management under the Bottoms-Up and Grassroots Participatory Budgeting programs while the rest were funded by the local government of La Castellana

La Castellana Mayor Alberto Nicor said they are privileged to receive this government project, so he advised the recipients to use the facilities wisely.

Daniel Diamante, an ARB, thanked the people behind the project and assured the Mayor and the DAR that they will handle the equipme nts awarded to them well.

During his visit to Negros Occidental last month, DAR Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes said that, aside from distributing more land covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the agency is not remiss in giving support services to the ARBs

Delos Reyes reported that t he credit program of the Land Bank and the Department of Agriculture is now between P800 and P900 million, with a repayment rate of 95 percent.*APN

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