In a bid to boost the city?s agricultural production, Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday turned over two farm tractors with implements worth P5.4 million to the City Agriculturist Office in Tumaga.

It was a counter-parting project between the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 9 under GMA Corn Tractor Pool Program and the city government of Zamboanga. The two agencies funded the two tractors at P2.4 million and P3 million, respectively for a total of P5.4 million.

In his message, Lobregat challenged City Agriculturist Diosdado Palacat and his field officers in the different districts to make sure that the tractors are put to good use, effectively and efficiently, in accordance with the existing ordinance.

?No quiere yo este tractora taki lang na oficina de ustedes o na tractor shed hende ta corre,? (I don?t want these tractors to be left idle in your office or in the shed) he stressed.

With the two new tractors plus two existing units, the city government now has four farm tractors. ?That is why I want a weekly report now on how we are utilizing these tractors,? Lobregat said.

The chief executive also wants the weekly report reflected in the performance evaluation of all the field personnel of the City Agriculturist Office assigned in Tumaga, Ayala, Culianan, Manicahan, Curuan and Vitali Districts.

?The lower (seldom) you use these tractors, the lower will be your rating. If you do not use these tractors, then your rating will be unsatisfactory. The more you use these tractors, then you go up to may be satisfactory. If you use these tractors very efficiently, that will be the only time you will go to very satisfactory,? Lobregat said as a challenge to the field coordinators.

However, the mayor cited the need to review Ordinance 2082 that regulates the use and operation of city-owned farm tractors, particularly on the rental and maintenance provisions.

Under the said ordinance, the rental fee is pegged at P550 per hectare. He said the ordinance needs to be reviewed because the fee is dependent on fuel, and the prices of fuel are erratic? sometimes they go up and sometimes they go down.

Councilors Rey Candido and Rudy Lim, who also attended the turnover program, assured to rationalize the edict and make it reflective of the present situation.

Also present were DA Regional Director Oscar Parawan, Chairman Perfector dela Cruz of Barangay Dulian, Upper Bunguiao, Vicente Gregorio, tractor operator Malcampo Antonio of Culianan, 4-H President Rey Bejerano, field coordinators and farmers association officers.

In a related development, Lobregat commended the city?s 4-H Club members for honors in the recently concluded National 4-H Convention in Cadlan Pili, Camarines Sr.

Winners were: Princes Bautista, first placer, for camote-based hola pie; Jumarie Abequibel, 2nd placer, forage identification; Narphy Uzman, 4th placer in corn by-product handicraft making; and Remie Jay Santos, 5th placer in poster-making contest.

The group was chaperoned by 4-H coordinator Lorna Bautista, 4-H Federation President Rowena Salvador and Rowel Lumangtad, 2008 national champion in coco-based handicraft.