Implementing Guidelines on the Provision of Grain Moisture Meter

June 29, 2012

DA MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 027-12

 

The Department through this Memorandum Order hereby issues the following general guidelines for the implementation of the rice program intervention of providing grain moisture meters. DaIACS

I. Purpose

Grain Moisture Meter is used to determine the moisture content of grains. Units are provided under the rice program to equip rice farmers with this gadget so as to enhance their capability to properly manage their grain produce relative to drying, storage, processing or milling and marketing. The gadget shall be very useful to farmers in undertaking measures to prevent or minimize grain deterioration and maintain good quality especially in drying and storage. Likewise, precise measurement of moisture content helps in attaining high recovery in milling operations. The gadget shall also be very useful in the palay and rice trading, processing and marketing operations of farmers' organizations who are undertaking such.

II. Regional Coverage

All DA RFUs with available current and continuing budgets for the purpose are authorized to undertake this Rice Program intervention.

III. Target Beneficiaries

This program intervention shall be exclusively for small community-based farmer organizations with rice/palay producers as majority members. This shall be given only to farmer organizations who are currently engaged in palay/rice trading, grain drying and/or grain milling operations.

IV. Eligibility and Requirements for Submission

The qualified recipients are duly registered primary farmers organization such as Farmer's Associations (FAs), Irrigators' Associations (IAs), Farmers Cooperatives (FCs).

Mandatory requirements:

1. Letter of intent, addressed to the DA-Regional Executive Director, stating that the majority of its members are rice/palay producers, currently engaged in trading, grain drying and/or grain milling operations and has not received grain moisture meter. This will be submitted to Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) or City Agriculture Office (CAO).

2. SEC/CDA/DOLE latest certificate of registration.

3. Current grain business license/registration from NFA.

Additional requirements may be needed only after the initial selection, based on the core or mandatory requirements.

4. MAO/CAO endorsement to PAO. DHcESI

5. PAO endorsement to DA-Regional Executive Director.

V. Minimum Specifications

1. Portable, with a protective carrying bag having AgriPinoy logo

2. Capacitance type

3. Digital output

4. Used for Palayand Corn

5. Measurement range; Palay: 9-36% MCwb, Corn: 9-36% MCwb

6. Resolution 0.1% MCwb

7. Accuracy + 0.5% MCwb

8. Repeatability 99%

9. AMTEC Tested

10. With 1 year warranty for full replacement of defective units

11. With a copy of the operating manual for the model written in English.

The DA RFUs concerned may add to these minimum specifications by indicating in the approved Purchase Request additional features or specifications provided that none shall contradict any portion of the guidelines under this Memorandum Order.

VI. Mechanics of Implementation

1. The provision of Grain Moisture Meter as grant will be implemented by DA-RFUs. The Provincial Agriculture Office shall provide the field coordination in implementation between the DA RFU and the Municipal/City Agriculture Office which in turn shall undertake the farmer level implementation. CITaSA

2. PhilMech will provide technical assistance to the RFUs as needed in various aspects of implementation.

3. Procurement — The DA RFUs shall undertake the following:

a. The Regional Rice Program Focal Person shall finalize all the necessary detailed specifications of the grain moisture meter that the DA RFU shall procure and distribute. The minimum specifications indicated in this Memorandum Order should be followed with additional specifications that need to be added by the RFUs.

b. The DA RFU procurement unit shall establish the estimated unit price based on the detailed specification provided by the Regional Rice Program Focal Person.

c. The Regional Rice Program Focal Person shall determine the number of pieces that shall be procured based on the estimated unit price and the total available budget allocation for the purpose.

d. The Regional Procurement Unit shall initiate and complete the procurement process based on the quantities and specifications provided by the Regional Rice Program Focal Person, following prescribed procurement, accounting and audit procedures, rules and regulations.

4. Allocation

a. The DA RFU shall reserve twenty percent (10%) n of the estimated number to be procured from the available budget. These reserves shall be the allowance in case the actual procurement cost per unit shall be higher than the estimate and the total number procured shall be lesser than the original estimate. The reserved units shall remain unallocated until all the approved recipients have received one (1) unit of grain moisture meter. IEHTaA

b. The DA RFU shall allocate the grain moisture meter to be procured net of the twenty percent (10%) n reserve among the rice producing provinces in the region. The basis for the provincial allocation shall be primarily the rice area of the provinces, but may be modified upon agreement of both DA RFU and Provincial Agriculturist.

c. The DA RFU and the Provincial Agriculture Office shall formulate the basis for determining Municipal and City allocations on the number of grain moisture meter allocated to the Province.

d. The DA RFU and Provincial Agriculture Office shall also formulate the basis for the allocation to rice producing barangays by the Municipal/City Agriculture Office.

5. Selection of Recipients

a. The DA RFUs in consultation with the Provincial Agriculture Offices shall formulate and issue the specific criteria and guidelines to be followed by the Municipal/City Agriculture Office in the selection and prioritization of recipients among the eligible farmers organizations. The said guideline on selection of recipients shall include the deadline date for the submission of the consolidated Municipal/City recipient list and the mandatory requirements to the Provincial Agriculture Office. Only one consolidated master list of selected farmers organization recipients shall be submitted. This shall specify that none submission of master list on or before the deadline date to the Provincial Agriculture Office shall result to automatic forfeiture of the Municipal/City allocation.

b. The Municipal/City Agriculture Office shall prepare the master list of farmers organization as recipients, which includes the name of the farmers organization, the name of the president and his residential address, number of members and their total rice area. The specimen signature of the president whose name appears on the master list shall be affixed. A blank space where the signature of the person to receive the grain moisture meter shall be part of the master list form.

c. The Provincial Agriculture Office shall review the submission of the Municipal/City Agriculture Offices. Only those submitted complete and on time shall be received by the Provincial Agriculture Office. Master list that do not bear the signature of the Municipal/City Agriculturist attesting the correctness and truthfulness of all the information indicated on the list shall automatically be excluded. CAETcH

d. The Provincial Agriculture Office shall submit to the DA RFU the master list of selected recipients after review with seven (7) calendar days from the day this was submitted by the Municipal/City Agriculture Office, failure to do so shall result to automatic rejection of the master list and the reallocation of the items to other provinces in the region. This shall be signed by the provincial agriculturist indicating that this has been reviewed and is in accordance with the guidelines and selection followed from criteria that are set.

e. The unallocated units that resulted from the automatic forfeiture of the late and incomplete submissions by Municipal/City Agriculture Offices shall be jointly reallocated by the DA RFU and the Provincial Agriculture Office only to the Municipalities/Cities that were compliant as to the submissions relative to the deadline date. aAHISE

f. The DA RFU Regional Executive Director shall approve the submitted master list of selected recipients prior to the distribution to the recipients.

6. Distribution

a. The DA RFU and Provincial Agriculture Office shall jointly deliver and turn-over the grain moisture meter allocated to each Municipality/City. The turned over materials shall be received and duly accepted in writing by the Municipal/City Agriculturist as to quantity and the specifications that are indicated in the acceptance document.

b. One time distribution to recipients for each municipality shall be undertaken by the Municipal/City Agriculture Office. This shall preferably be done in the presence of DA RFU and Provincial Agriculture Office representatives and that of NIA in the areas served by national irrigation systems. For this, the Municipal/City Agriculture Office shall serve a written notice on the date, time and place of the municipal distribution.

c. The DA RFU and Provincial Agriculture Office shall formulate written guidelines on the documentation of the actual receipt of the grain moisture meter by the president, whose name and other particulars are indicated in the list of qualified beneficiaries. This shall be particularly specified if a representative physically receives the item in behalf of the one whose specimen signature appears on the duly approved master list.

VII. Supplemental/Detailed Implementation Guidelines and Specifications

1. In case of RFUs who had already undertaken the bidding and awarding process of the said intervention prior to the issuance of this Memorandum Order provision on adjustment shall be allowed subject to the concurrence of National Rice Program Coordinator. SECIcT

2. Detailed supplemental guidelines for the implementation of this intervention may be formulated by each RFU under official and written issuances to be signed by the Regional Director. Such supplemental issuances maybe formulated to address peculiar situations of a particular region or to clarify further those indicated in this Memorandum Order. Supplemental guidelines, however, shall not be contradictory of any provision of this General Guidelines and shall be in conformity to procurement, accounting and auditing rules and regulations. A copy of all regional issuance for supplemental guidelines shall be officially furnished to the National Rice Program Secretariat within seven (7) working days from the date of its release by the DA RFU Records Section.

VIII. Reporting and Monitoring

The implementation of this intervention shall be covered by the regular monitoring and reporting systems under the Rice Program and of that of the Department as a whole. EHaDIC

IX. Effectivity

This Memorandum Order shall take effect immediately upon signing and shall supersede other issuances that are inconsistent herewith.

Approved:

(SGD.) PROCESO J. ALCALASecretaryDepartment of Agriculture

Recommending Approval:

(SGD.) DANTE S. DELIMAAssistant SecretaryNational Coordinator for Rice Program