Three subprojects from the municipalities of Bansud, Victoria, and Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro received new milking machine, farm tractor, and rice mill, respectively, from the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

The equipment were turned over during the first quarter of 2019 for the Bansud Carabao Milking Support Microenterprises, Provision of Custom Four-Wheel Farm Tractor with Accessories, and Ricemill Rehabilitation and Upgrading Project.

The Bansud Goat Raisers and Other Ruminants Association (BAGORRA) was granted with five heads of cattle and ten heads of goat and plans to make use of these animals for livelihood. With the new milking machine, this will support BAGORRA in producing good quality milk that will be supplied to schools and stores.

Meanwhile, the Mabini Farm Family Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MABINI) will use the farm tractor for rental purposes for a more economical and efficient way of land preparation to the farmers’ fields.

This will allow the farmers to plant on time and maximize their schedule during the first stage of their planting.

The Matuodtuod Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MATUFAMCO), receiving the rice mill, plans to expand current production by increasing the volume of their milled rice to boost the income of the cooperative as a whole.

It also hopes to produce a higher quality of milled rice that will be sold at a lower price for the advantage of the group’s members and non-members in the area.

Previously implemented as small livelihood projects (SLPs), these microenterprises under the enterprise development (I-REAP) component of the PRDP also aim to help farmers and fisherfolk in rural areas in restoring their livelihoods that were previously damaged by typhoons and other calamities.

These subprojects are small income-generating interventions with an average cost of P1.5 million that intend to provide a source of income that should improve the socio-economic condition of its primary beneficiaries. ### (Leira Vic Colongon, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)

The four-wheel farm tractor of the Mabini Farm Family Multi-Purpose Cooperative (left) and rice mill of the Matuodtuod Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (right) will support their enterprises to achieve higher income for their member-beneficiaries. (Photos by Glenn Villacorte, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO Procurement Unit)