TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) awarded a 95-horsepower Kubota farm tractor to a farmer’s organization composed of different tribal members in Barangay Nambaran on August 3.
According to Michael Gillies of DAR-Kalinga, the Inter-Tribal Agriculture Cooperative (ITAC) was selected as the beneficiary due to its members being recipients of the Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA).
He also said that apart from the farm tractor which is capable of serving 50 hectares of farmland, the DAR is also planning to provide ITAC with three units of power tiller, three units of grasscutter, farm subsidies like seeds, and other farm tools.
Established in June 2022, ITAC currently has 33 regular members with Brandy Bidalan as chairman.
Bidalan, in his message, expressed his gratitude to DAR for the farm machinery. He said that it greatly aids the farmers and saves them money during harvest season since they no longer need to hire equipment.
Meanwhile, City Mayor Darwin Estrañero Representative Napoleon Ayang-ang encouraged ITAC members to maintain the provided farm machinery and ensure it serves its purpose of boosting the rice farming of its members. By Darwin Serion and Rod Asurin