THE Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) on Monday pledged to support Tanzania and other African countries in efforts to modernize their respective agriculture industries.
Officials of PHilMech — a Department of Agriculture (DA)-attached agency tasked to boost productivity and income for farmers and fisherfolk through technology — attended a United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization event in Tanzania to share best practices in agricultural development.
A presentation by PHilMech Director Dionisio Alvindia discussed the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), whose P10-billion annual fund supports farmers through mechanization, seed development, credit assistance and training to compete with cheaper imported rice.
The RCEF has increased harvest mechanization levels to rise to 2.81 horsepower per hectare from the previous 2.31. It has also reduced labor costs by P2 per kilogram and minimized postharvest losses, saving rice enough to feed 95,000 families annually, Alvindia said.
In attendance were officials of the Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute, World Bank Tanzania, African Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency-Tanzania Office and the European Union Office in Tanzania.
Alvindia and PHilMech Facility Management and Field Operations Division Acting Chief Raymond Andres likewise joined the Africa Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization.
A Tanzanian delegation will visit the Philippines next month.
