By Xander Ledesma
A total of 36 rice-producing towns in Central Visayas—22 in Bohol and 14 in Negros Oriental—are now fully mechanized in planting and harvesting, significantly boosting rice production in the region.
Rogen Jan Flores, the focal person for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Mechanization Program under the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), highlighted this milestone as the program nears its conclusion. Launched in 2019, the six-year initiative aims to modernize farming practices and enhance efficiency, reducing the cost of rice production.
“The Youth for Mechanization program was introduced to demonstrate that rice farming is no longer the backbreaking labor it once was. Modern machinery has transformed the process from cultivation to harvest,” Flores said during a forum, blending Cebuano and English in his remarks.
The program has provided nearly PHP1 billion worth of advanced equipment to 243 farmers, farmer associations, and cooperatives in Bohol and Negros Oriental. The distributed machinery includes combine harvesters, threshers, reapers, and mobile rice mills, which have not only simplified farming but also increased productivity and farmer incomes.
Flores underscored the importance of mechanization in reducing farming costs and stressed the potential benefits of extending the program. If implemented, the proposed RCEF Mechanization Program 2.0, set to start in 2025, could expand the reach of modern agricultural technologies to additional towns and cities in Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol, and Negros Oriental.
With mechanization now at the forefront, the region’s rice sector is poised for continued growth, benefiting both farmers and consumers through more efficient and cost-effective production processes.