KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- Farmers in South Cotabato have produced 10 to 12 tons of rice per hectare under the provincial government’s Consolidated Rice Production and Mechanization Program (CRPMP).

This production exceeds the target of at least 8 tons per hectare that Governor Tamayo Jr. indicated to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the latter’s visit to the province on June 14, 2023, to launch the program.

On Friday, September 15, Gov. Tamayo, with other local government officials and members of the Upper Valley Agriculture Cooperative (UVACO), kicked off the maiden harvest season of the CRPMP pilot site at Purok Roxas, Barangay Dajay, Surallah.

The area, managed by UVACO, comprises 210 hectares owned by 103 rice growers.

"We wished for an average of 8 tons per hectare, meaning 6 to 10 tons is OK. But when we checked, our harvest will be at least 10 tons per hectare," Tamayo said, citing results from the yield estimation using the crop cut method conducted by the Office of Provincial Agriculturist. Some areas, he added, are projected to produce as much as 12 tons per hectare.

An initial four-hectare area harvested on Friday morning produced 42.1 tons of palay or 10.5 tons per hectare.

On average, rice farmers in South Cotabato produce only around 4.6 tons per hectare using traditional rice management practices.

South Cotabato’s CRPMP is the first such rice production system initiated by a provincial government in the entire Philippines.

Under this scheme, at least 50 hectares of contiguous small rice farms are put together into a rice production block managed by a farmer cooperative. Five of these production blocks, or at least 1,000 hectares, are then combined to form a consolidated farm, operated as a corporation currently managed by the provincial government.

Farm preparation activities are highly mechanized using machines such as four-wheel-drive tractors, disc plows, precision seeders, walk-behind and riding-type transplanters, and others. Harvesting is also fully mechanized using rice combine harvesters.

To further ensure improved production, better income, and a higher return on investment, farmer cooperators are highly urged to follow recommended practices and technologies such as the use of hybrid seeds, synchronous planting, pest management, irrigation schedules, and many others.

Farmer Anthony Dofinas Sr. said farm mechanization has reduced costs and saved time. Dofinas noted that prior to CRPMP, a farm owner could spend at least P11,000 per hectare on land preparation. Under the fresh system, a farmer only needs about P5,000 for the labor of the tractor operator and fuel.

Speaking to the Philippine Information Agency, couple John and Mary Jane Diaz, whose farm was among the first harvested, were already expecting a better harvest and gains from joining the CRPMP.

“Basta dako gid ang income; bentaha gid sa mga farmers. Gamay gasto [Income is excellent; it’s a real advantage for farmers. Expenses are lesser],” Mrs. Diaz said.

CRPMP is also a convergence of several government agencies. Machines for the land preparation and harvest are provided by the provincial government’s free tractor service and machinery support from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech). Farm inputs such as seeds, agrochemicals, and fertilizers were provided by the Department of Agriculture.

To ensure compliance with recommended practices and technologies, farmer cooperators underwent extensive training courtesy of the Agricultural Training Institute.

Water management is assisted by the National Irrigation Administration.

Once fully implemented, the CRPMP will be complemented by the Integrated Rice Processing Center with mechanized drying, storage, and milling. The processing center will feature silos capable of storing mechanically dried fresh palay for six months to one year without affecting the moisture content of palay or the quality of premium milled rice.

While the rice processing center complement has not been realized, the provincial government has forged an agreement with a private company for the processing of the palay produced from the program. According to the local chief executive, the establishment will only charge the provincial government for electricity used in the processing.

"The Consolidated Rice Production and Mechanization Program aims to boost production, increase the income of farmers, and reduce the price of rice," Gov. Tamayo said.

In total, more than 1,600 hectares of rice production area in six local government units in South Cotabato have been enrolled in the CRPMP.

"Our target [for the CRPMP] is to cover 3,000 or even 4,000 hectares," Tamayo said. Considering the current yield rate, the production will be sufficient to support the staple requirements of 1 million South Cotabateños for at least 10 months.

South Cotabato has about 43,000 hectares devoted to rice planting. (DED – PIA SOCCSKSARGEN)