COTABATO CITY – At least 61 shredder machines worth more than P21 million at P350,000 each were awarded to different farmer-cooperatives from the conflict-laden province of Maguindanao, local agriculture officials reported yesterday.

Maguindanao Agricultural Officer Daud Lagasi said the recent distribution brought to 105 the number of such farm machines distributed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAF-ARMM) since late last year.

Lagasi said the recipient-cooperatives met certain qualifying requirements designed to ensure that the said facilities would indeed boost their production capacity, and help address the adverse effects of sporadic armed conflicts in Maguindanao.

He said DAF-ARMM is planning to provide at least one shredder machine to each of selected barangays (villages) in the future in order to encourage community-based composting processes.

The awarding of shredder machines is a nationwide project of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the DA in compliance with Executive Order (EO) 481 otherwise known as the “Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines,” said Salik Panalunsong, field operations director of DAF-ARMM.

It was learned that the shredder machine can produce organic fertilizer out of farm wastes.

Organic by-products in farming including grasses are placed in composting facility after being shredded using the machine.

“We expect that this will increase the income and productivity of farmers by helping them cutback on chemical fertilizers,” Panalunsong said.

As this developed, ARMM acting Gov. Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong, in a statement, lauded the provision of such farm implements, saying that the agriculture sector is one of areas needing government support.