Over P7.6 million worth of farm machines has been distributed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to nine agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) in Ilocos Norte in a bid to improve their yield and income generation.

The distributed farm machines include trucks and farm inputs.

Leading the turnover ceremony was DAR Undersecretary for Filed Operations Kazel Celeste at the Catuguing Multipurpose Cooperative in San Nicolas.

“This project under the CRFPSP (Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support) aims to protect the environment. It seeks to reduce the poverty level by creating sustainable employment and income-generating opportunities for the farmers,” she said.

According to Celeste, 300 farmers will benefit from the DAR-provided equipment, saying such machines would make farming “easier and faster.”

It will also greatly improve their yield and increase their income, she added.

Vic Ines, DAR Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer, said the beneficiaries of the machines and farm inputs are members of nine ARBOs from the towns of Dumalneg, Burgos, Sarrat, Pinili, Banna, Dingras, Marcos, and Currimao.

The Nanguratao Irrigators Association, Inc., and the Sunrise Agrarian Reform Cooperative each received a farm tractor; the Banna Alliance of Cooperative and Buanga Agrarian Reform Cooperative were each provided with a hauling truck; the Pagwagan ti Gabon ARBs Cooperative and Imelda Agrarian Reform Cooperative received one and two hand tractors respectively; and the Agaga Agrarian Reform Cooperative, Golgol Rural Waterworks, and Sanitation Association Inc., and the Lang-ayan Agrarian Reform Cooperative received a tri-bike chariot each.

All the nine ARBOs received farm inputs consisting of water pumps, bags of organic fertilizer, bags of 14-14-14, and bags of Urea, Ines added.

Also present during the turnover ceremony was Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos. He thanked the DAR for the machines and farm inputs.