President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, June 6 welcomed the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on partnership for agricultural machinery between Department of Agriculture (DA) and Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO).

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said that the President emphasized the importance of mechanization in agricultural production as his government's priority has been to increase food production, particularly rice — the country's main staple.

“We all recognized very clearly the importance of mechanization for our country because we are trying to move the production, we are trying to make sure that at least the local supply for rice is sufficient and, of course, hopefully, also the other crops,” Marcos said as quoted by the PCO.

The first part of the project would involve a $30 million investment which would double in the second phase, a KAMICO official said.

According to the communications office, the project is expected to result in self-sufficiency in food production; the Philippines becoming a food-exporting country; increased employment and farmer income; establishment of infrastructure for agricultural mechanization and industrialization and the transfer of technology and the production of specialized machinery.

PCO stated that the DA has been collaborating with KAMICO for some time, with projects including adaptability testing of a self-propelled Mechanical Elevating Work Platform for mango production operations and technological performance verification and adaption of a mechanized onion production system.

Among the continuing projects are the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development's pilot adoption and pre-commercialization, as well as the mechanization of Korea's farm sector, it added.

The KAMICO, which is a prominent player in Korea's agricultural mechanization, was founded in 1962 and is recognized by the Korean government.

Written By Dana Ebreo, DZRH News Online Intern