Sugarcane farmers in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and an agricultural cooperative in Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija have received farming equipment and agribusiness facilities from East Asian countries.

In separate statements Monday, the embassies of Japan and South Korea said their countries have donated farming machineries and facilities to local farmers that will help them increase their productivity and earnings.

The Embassy of Japan in Manila said it turned over machineries for sugarcane farmers last Nov. 18 in Bacolod City that will help them boost productivity and efficiency and improve their income.

“To help boost the sugarcane industry, Japan provided 80 farm tractors and 48 mechanical planters for sugarcane farmers all over the Philippines, including Negros Occidental, through the PHP314 million Non-Project Grant Aid, one of Japan’s ODA (official development assistance) schemes,” the Japanese Embassy here said.

Being the leading sugar-producing province in the country, the embassy said its donated equipment and machineries will help farmers to supply the growing demand both in the domestic and international markets.

Meanwhile, the Korean Embassy in Manila said the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) has donated facilities to the Batitang Agricultural Cooperative (BAC) in Zaragosa for its seedling agribusiness enterprise.

“Its facilities (are) composed of two greenhouses for seedling nurseries and a 200-square-meter operation building to house the BAC KOPIA Office, farm machines and supplies storage facilities, and meeting room for the members of the project,” the Korean Embassy here added.

In partnership with the Philippine Rice Research Institute and the local government of Zaragosa, the agribusiness facilities aim to help the cooperative to be the vegetable seedling capital of Zaragosa and its nearby municipalities in Nueva Ecija. (PNA)