The Department of Agriculture has started negotiations with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a loan it is seeking to modernize the farm sector.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol, in a press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday, said the loan which is around one billion pesos will be used to buy farm equipment, such as tractors, transplanters, harvesters, dryers, and post harvest facilities.

He said there will be "10 modules" which will use the equipment. Pinol said these are the first 10 clustered rice farms of 1,000 hectares where farmers will be provided with farm equipment.

"If the concept becomes successful, we will expand this," Pinol said, noting the farmers themselves will operate the equipment.

The heavy equipment will cover initially 10,000 hectares, Pinol added. Celerina Monte/DMS