THE Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has allocated a total of P82.97 million to fund the disbursement of farming equipment and the construction of a processing facility.

In a statement, PhilMech said that it had granted P36.27 million worth of farming machineries to farmers from Zambales. It had also funded a P46.7-million coconut processing facility in Misamis Oriental.

The agency said that 20 units of hand tractors, six units of four-wheel tractors, six units of rice combine harvesters, four units of riding type transplanter, two units of precision seeder, and one unit of single pass rice mill were handed to 26 farmers cooperatives and local government units in Zambales.

To date, Zambales has received 303 units of various agricultural machinery and postharvest facilities already, amounting to P232.14 million.

Additionally, PhilMech said that an integrated white copra and coconut oil processing facility in Misamis Oriental. This was funded by the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Program (CFIDP).

The facility is aimed at benefiting over 200 coconut farmer-beneficiaries in the area. —  Adrian H. Halili

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