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Participants listen during the conduct of the Luzon-wide consultative meeting in Pampanga on June 2018

In line with the National Government’s priority thrust of developing and promoting agricultural and fishery mechanization technologies as part of its agricultural modernization program, the Department of Agriculture (DA), thru the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), has issued the DA Department Circular No.17, Series of 2018 which details the “Guidelines for the Classification and Accreditation of Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery Assemblers, Manufacturers, Importers , Distributors and Dealers” which was published in the Official Gazette Volume 115, No. 5 on February 4, 2019.

The said Department Circular is aimed at addressing the proliferation of “fly-by-night” agricultural and fisheries machinery suppliers. Likewise, the document shall serve as guide for farmers, land owners and relevant agri-fishery stakeholders procuring the necessary agricultural and fisheries equipment and machinery from duly accredited suppliers.

 
Attendees of the Visayas-wide consultative meeting at the conclusion of their activity on June 2018

Additionally, the issuance of this DC is in recognition of safeguarding and protecting the welfare of the Philippine agricultural machinery sector, as it is envisioned to play a vital role in the development of the country’s agricultural mechanization industry.

Tasked to oversee the implementation of these guidelines is the private sector-led National Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery Assemblers, Manufacturers, Importers, Distributors and Dealers Accreditation and Classification (NAMDAC) Board. The NAMDAC Board and its Advisory Body (ASB) was created via the DA Special Order (SO) No. 238, Series of 2018 issued by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol.

Backstopping the NAMDAC Board’s operations is the PCAF’s Policy Development and Coordination Division (PDCD)- Interim Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization and Engineering Unit (AFMEU). As NAMDAC Secretariat, the AFMEU is providing the necessary technical, logistical and administrative support to the activities of the Board and ASB.

Stakeholders provide viable inputs in the Mindanao-wide consultative meeting held in Davao City on May 2018

To ensure that inputs from concerned stakeholders have been considered in the crafting of this document, a series of consultative meetings were held in Davao City, Iloilo City and Pampanga covering the respective island clusters of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon from May to June 2018. The NAMDAC Board also conducted several meetings and consultation workshops prior to the finalization and dissemination of the said DA Department Circular. -AE