The Department of Agriculture (DA), in consonance with the policy framework of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) or Republic Act No. 8435 and the food security thrust of President Joseph 'Erap' Ejercito Estrada's Administration is now embarking the implementation of the Agrikulturang MakaMASA Program. This Program comprises eight(8) major commodity concerns namely, rice, corn, coconut, livestock, fisheries, commercial crops, sugar, and upland marginal areas.
The REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING GROUP shall accelerate the development and installation/construction of irrigation, post harvest facilities, agri-fishery infrastructures which are within the sphere of agricultural engineering.
IRRIGATION Projects involve the construction, installation, rehabilitation and management of Small Water Impounding Projects/ Diversion Dams(SWIP/DD), Small Farm Reservoirs(SFR), Shallow TubeWells(STW), Deep TubeWells(DTW), and the National and Communal Irrigation Systems (NIS/CIS).
POSTHARVEST FACILITIES(PHF) involves the installation, establishment and/or dispersal of mechanical garin dryers, coconut dryers, threshers, storage facilities, slaugtherhouses and other processing facilites.
AGRI-FISHERY INFRASTRUCTURES involves the construction and rehabilitation of Farm-To-Market Roads/Bridges(FTMR/B), Fish Ports, Sea Ports and Air Ports, Rural Energy, Research and Technology Infrastructures, Agricultural Machineries and other vital rural infrastructure projects.
Under the AFMA, more than 50% of the funds are allocated for irrigation, postharvest facilities and agricultural infrastructure projects. As an implementing strategy, the Department of Agriculture will closely work with the Local Government Units(LGUs), State Colleges and Universities(SCUs) and other government agencies and the private sector. |
