Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has signed the implementing rules and regulations for Republic Act 10601 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Mechanization Act, which paves the way for the creation of the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering, which will formulate the five-year National Agri-Fishery Mechanization Program.
The bureau will be an attached agency of the Agriculture Department.
Alcala said the law tasks the Philippine Center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization to
take the lead in overall research, development and extension in farm and fisheries mechanization.
PhilMech Executive Director Rex Bingabing said the five-year plan will be formulated through consultations with the concerned agencies and the private sector.
The bureau will have one year from the approval of the implementing rules to come up with the five-year plan, Bingabing said.
Based on the latest data, the country’s farm mechanization level is 1.52 horsepower per hectare, which is still below neighboring countries like Taiwan, China and Japan.
Thailand and Vietnam also have higher farm mechanization levels.
In the mid 1990s, the farm mechanization level in the Philippines was pegged at 0.52 hp/ha.
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