Article 146Labor and Agrarian Laws and Social Legislation, p. 146

LABOR LAWS AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION SPECIAL LAWS AND IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

government agencies are established to ensure that such

assistance is made available to local farmers.

SECTION 11. Transportation Infrastructure . — The

Government shall provide farm-to-market roads, feeder

roads and bridges which will link the farms to the market.

Priority shall be given to areas predominantly populated

by small farmers and where agricultural productivity is

relatively low.

To ensure accessibility of markets to farmers and

thereby minimize product wastage, the Government shall

also provide for the construction of additional piers or

wharves and airports and the improvement of such

existing

facilities

especially

in

areas

having

surplus

agricultural production and in other strategic areas in the

country. It shall devise schemes to allow farmers to

operate

and

eventually

obtain

their

own

transport

equipment.

The Department of Public Works and Highways shall,

in coordination with other agencies or subdivisions of the

National Government, implement the provisions of this

section. Farmers' organizations shall participate in site

identification,

preparation,

actual

execution

and

maintenance

of

infrastructure

projects

especially

in

tapping available local manpower and materials.

SECTION 12. Communications Infrastructure . — To

facilitate

farmers'

access

to

vital

information,

the

Government

shall

make

available

at

least

one

(1)

communication

facility

in

each

municipality for this

purpose. This facility is to be operated by the Department

of

Agriculture

or

by

a

designated

viable

farmers'

organization.

SECTION 13. Postharvest Facilities/Services . — Every

barangay which is predominantly agriculture-based shall

be entitled to at least one (1) storage facility and a

multipurpose pavement/plaza which can be used for

various purposes including drying of agricultural produce.

These shall be located in the chosen barangay site or

in

any

area

to

be

approved

by

the

sangguniang

barangay in consultation with the small farmers and

farmers' organizations who shall provide the labor and

other locally available materials for the construction and

maintenance of the facilities. Priority shall be given to

areas

where

no

such

facilities

are

available

and

predominantly populated by small farmers. The selected

site

shall, as much as practicable, be accessible by

transportation and communication facilities and must be

near the center of the barangay.

The farmers' organizations may collect reasonable

fees for services rendered in connection with the use of

such facilities; Provided , That the collections therefrom

shall be used only for the maintenance, improvement

and expansion of these facilities: Provided, further , That

an amount representing rental fees for the land shall be

remitted to the barangay, where applicable.

SECTION 14. Postharvest Facilities . — The National

Food

Authority

(NFA)

shall

establish

the

necessary

postharvest facilities such as rice mills, dryers, threshers,

warehouses, cold storage and other facilities which are

needed in the area. Such postharvest facilities shall be

leased to farmers' organizations. Viable cooperatives shall

have the option to buy such facilities from the NFA.

Underutilized or non-operational postharvest facilities of

the Government shall be made available to farmers'

organizations through lease or sale.

SECTION 15. Market Infrastructure . — To assure

farmers of markets for their produce, the Government

shall assist farmers' organizations in establishing and

operating market infrastructure, facilities and equipment.

SECTION

16.

Use

of

Good

Seeds and Planting

Materials . — The State shall ensure that every farmer has

the equal opportunity to avail of, to produce and to

market

good

seeds

and

planting

materials

recommended by the Department of Agriculture as

capable

of

producing

high-yielding, pest-and-disease

resistant, and widely-adapted crops for irrigated, rainfed

and upland areas. Farmers' organizations shall coordinate

with the field offices of the Department of Agriculture

and other concerned government agencies in ensuring

that seeds and the means necessary to engage in the

production and marketing of seeds suited to prevailing

conditions in their respective communities are made

available to small farmers.

To ensure the constant availability of appropriate and

affordable

seeds

of

recommended

varieties,

the

Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Plant

Industry,

and

in

cooperation

with

the

private

seed

producers' associations, the farmers' organizations, the

Institute

of Plant Breeding of the University of the

Philippines at Los Baños, and other state universities,

colleges,

and

other institutions, shall extend all the

necessary

support

needed

to

give

the

farmers the

capability to undertake seed production and distribution

services.

The

Department

of

Agriculture

shall

conduct

information campaigns and accelerate dissemination of

technology on the use, production and storage of quality

seeds. It shall also provide seed quality control services to

discourage the use of inferior seeds and other varieties.

SECTION 17. Use of Fertilizers and Pesticides . — The

Government

together

with

the

small

farmers

shall

encourage the use of fertilizers and pesticides which have

an acceptable level of deleterious effects on the health

and the environment. They shall also promote the use of

organic fertilizer and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

In addition, they shall promote efficient and proper usage

of fertilizer and pesticide taking into consideration the

characteristics of the soil and crop and thereby eliminate

losses due to wasteful and improper application. The

Government shall support farmers' organizations in the

trading of fertilizers and pesticides.

The

Department

of

Agriculture

shall

formulate

policies and implement programs regulating the use of

fertilizers and pesticides. It shall conduct an extensive

information campaign on the nature and consequences

of using highly toxic pesticides. It shall monitor and

regulate the sale of pesticides to ensure that banned

pesticides are not sold in the market. It shall conduct

thorough evaluation to check the data submitted by

pesticide companies.

The Department of Agriculture shall likewise ensure

adequate supply of fertilizers at reasonable prices. To

eliminate added cost passed on by traders to the farmers,

farmers' organizations shall be encouraged to undertake

the distribution of fertilizers to their members.

CHAPTER V Farm Machinery and Equipment

SECTION 18. Availability of Farm Machinery and

Equipment . — The Department of Agriculture, through

the barangay or municipal governments and farmers'

organizations,

shall

support

activities

to

ensure

the

availability of farm machinery and equipment for the use

of small farmers in both pre- and postharvest operations.

For purposes of monitoring, all farm machinery and

equipment

must

be

registered

with

the

municipal

government. The Department shall devise a program to

increase the population of draft animals in the area. Local

agricultural officers shall, in coordination with farmers'

organizations, devise schemes in the sharing, pooling,

leasing

or

acquiring

draft

animals,

equipment

or

machinery needed by the farmers.

The

Government

shall

support

the

farmers

in

acquiring their inventory of farm equipment. With the

use of grants-in-aid, as well as other domestic and foreign

funds, the Government shall acquire and distribute to

farmers' organizations farm equipment and machinery so

as to increase their productive capabilities. The funding

requirement for this undertaking shall be included in the

annual budget of the Department of Agriculture.

© Compiled By RGL

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