Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10601)
The official short title is the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization (AFMech) Law.
The primary policy objective is to promote the development and adoption of modern, appropriate, cost-effective, and environmentally-safe agricultural and fisheries machinery to enhance productivity, achieve food security, and increase farmers' income.
Agricultural and fisheries machinery refers to machinery and equipment for production, harvesting, processing, storage, manufacture, preserving, transporting, and distribution of agricultural and fisheries products, including tractors, power tillers, seeders, transplanters, fishery equipment, and fishing boats of three gross tons or less.
BAFE coordinates and oversees the national planning and implementation of agri-fisheries engineering and infrastructure projects; assists in mechanization programs; prepares and evaluates engineering plans; provides technical assistance; enforces standards and regulatory policies; implements accreditation and registration schemes; issues permits to manufacturers, fabricators, assemblers, and importers; and promulgates accreditation guidelines for testing centers.
Prohibited acts include selling, mortgaging or leasing agricultural and fishery machinery without registration with BAFE; selling new machinery without warranty or after-sales service; claiming ownership of unregistered machinery; and operating a testing center without proper accreditation.
Violators face fines ranging from One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) to Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00), imprisonment from two months to one year, or both, at the court's discretion, along with other penalties under the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
The law applies to the research, development and extension, promotion, distribution, supply, assembling, manufacturing, regulation, use, operation, maintenance, and project implementation of agricultural and fisheries machinery and equipment.
The Department of Agriculture, through the designated Undersecretary, is responsible for formulating and reviewing the program.
They are eligible for loans under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) and may be granted incentives if considered registered enterprises in preferred areas of investment.
PHilMech coordinates, plans, and executes agricultural and fishery mechanization and postharvest research, development, and extension programs and projects.
All owners must register with the agriculture offices of municipal and city government units, which maintain registries at the municipal, city, and provincial levels. DA's regional offices maintain regional registries, and BAFE maintains the national database.
Assemblers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers, distributors, and dealers are required to provide after-sales service and warranty to their clients, monitored by LGU agriculture offices and the BAFE.
Machinery to be sold must pass testing and evaluation by the Agricultural Machinery Testing and Evaluation Center (AMTEC) to meet quality and performance standards before commercial sale.
TESDA, in collaboration with DA, Board of Agricultural Engineering, and relevant associations, shall undertake skills certification and accreditation systems for agricultural and fishery machinery operators and technicians.
LGUs are tasked with applied research, extension, dispersal, management, and regulation of agricultural and fishery machinery and equipment, including fee collection, and must organize agricultural engineering divisions/sections responsible for planning, coordinating, regulating, and implementing mechanization programs and infrastructure projects.