Mayor Isagani “Bong” Mendoza personally turned over on Friday, December10, a brand new Yanmar 35 HP tractor to barangay Pandan Irrigators Association President Dan Bernarte.
Another brand new YM Tractor has been set aside for farmers of Pandan Castilla Sorsogon Irrigators Association, Inc.
This falls under the program of Department of Agriculture, through the efforts of Municipal Mayor Isagani Bong Mendoza, in collaboration with the LGU Agriculture Office.
One day of using the tractor is equivalent to one month of manual harvesting.
Mayor Mendoza said this is part of the continuing assistance to farmers by the LGU to help them facilitate land preparation.
Meanwhile, Manuel Marantal, OIC Municipal Agriculture Office, said this is the fourth tractor the LGU has delivered to the barangays.
Previously, three other barangays received a tractor each: barangays Amomonting, Oras and Mayon.
Marantal said this is part of the P10-Billion RCEF or the Rice Competitiveness. Enhancement Fund of the national government distributed thru the Philmech (Phil Mechanization).
Castilla has about 2,500 hectares of rice land.
Meantime, Dante Bernarte, president of the 45-member Pandan Irrigators Association said he was very thankful for the Mayor’s support, fully cognizant of the benefits a tractor will give them such as the reduction of the number of days, and the man hours spent in the preparation of their rice land for planting. (with reports from BEL)