DAR provides mechanization support to abaca farmers

By Edna Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes ---The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has awarded a grant of P1.5 million to local abaca (Manila hemp) farmers to help mechanize their abaca fiber production.

The grant includes a package of farm machinery and equipment, which consists of the following items: portable single abaca spindle stripping machines, abaca tuxying machines, portable abaca fiber stripping machines, galvanized stainless steel manual stripping devices, galvanized steel tuxying knives, knapsack sprayers, traditional weighing scales, a hand tractor with implements, and a motorized top-down hauler.

This equipment is expected to enhance the farming and processing capabilities of the members of the Milaviga Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, Inc. (MARBAI).

“This is a tremendous help for us abacaleros. With these machines, we can now produce better quality abaca and truly elevate our farming,” said MARBAI president Rudy Rojas Jr.

The grant was presented to MARBAI officials during a ceremony in which 39 members of MARBAI graduated from the farmers’ field school on August 11.

The graduates, consisting of 21 men and 18 women, were trained in abaca production, disease management, and sustainable farming practices.

This training equipped them with the knowledge and skills needed to boost yield and enhance fiber quality.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Nerisa Aldea urged the farmers to remain united and hardworking.

“Production can double, triple, or even more, but only through diligence will the blessings be fully enjoyed,” she stated.

The event was themed “Abacaleros sa Pagbangon: Bunga ng Kaalaman, Bayanihan, at Makinaryang Handog ng DAR” and was organized in partnership with the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority and the municipal government of Caramoran. (PIA Bicol/Catanduanes)