Members of the Gamut Farmers Irrigators Group Inc. (GFIGI) in Tago, Surigao del Sur operating their Combine Rice harvester during their harvest this April 2019. The combine harvester is an intervention from the Department of Agriculture given for free to eligible farmers associations in the Caraga Region.

Manual harvesting is the most labor-intensive activity of the planting season. When the period comes rice farmers relied on labor-contract arrangements. This had been a practice for most of the farmers in the country including the Caraga region.

But with the advent of new technology, significant changes on farmers customary farming operations can now be observed when you go to rice production areas.

Such is the case on one of the farmers’ associations in the province of Surigao del Sur. Gamut Farmers Irrigators Group Inc. (GFIGI) from Brgy. Gamut, in the Municipality of Tago is not your ordinary federated rice farmers but an accredited Farm Service Provider – a group of modern-day farm workers armed with the necessary skills and knowledge for farm machinery operation and maintenance. 

“Before, we were entangled with debts because we don’t have enough finances to support our farm operations. When calamity hits us we struggle to recover due to limited resources that we have,” Chairman Gilberto Plazanarrates.

In 2015, with the group’s interest, the DA capacitated the members of the group to become an effective agent in providing farm services. They were provided with various farm machinery to facilitate efficient land preparation, lower cost of production, reduce postharvest losses, and to satisfy the farmers availing the services.

The group has so far received 4 floating tillers, 2 pumps and engine set, 1 rice planter, 2 threshers, 5 collapsible drier and a rice combine harvester which is worth ₱2.3 million.

“We spend a total of ₱5,000 to ₱6,000 for labor per hectare in manual harvesting plus for every 100 sacks of palay harvested an additional payment of 8 sacks will be given to the hired laborers. It will take 2-3 days to harvest a hectare which poses the problem of unpredictable rains that could affect the quality of palay,” said Plaza.

According to Plaza, manual harvesting requires 40-80 hours per hectare and it takes 8-10-person to manually reap, collect and haul the harvested crop. While the rice combine harvester makes the harvesting process easier by combining important operations such as reaping, threshing, cleaning and bagging into one machine.

It is a modern and efficient way of harvesting rice that provides the farmers comfort in operation and give them the power to harvest at their own time of choosing –no need to wait for available labor and no need to worry about approaching typhoons.  

The 74 members of GFIGI are the direct patrons of the FSP servicing 112 hectares irrigated rice area. The members were able to breathe a sigh of relief from the usual tiresome farming and time-consuming practice while reducing labor cost.

“Our group has improved in these last few years. We can now generate additional income through servicing of other farmers. Our members now are enjoying our affordable farm machinery service fee,” Plaza said.

Before, private farm service providers as far as Cotabato would come and some of them would take advantage to ask for the 11% of the total harvested palay as payment for their tendered service. To help their fellow farmers, GFIGI lowered their service fee to 7%. The proceeds will pay for the laborers who run the machine and then to the group’s savings account.

“We are grateful for the assistance of the DA to our group. As a way of giving back, we commit to provide efficient service to our fellow farmers,” Chairman Plaza added.