THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is undertaking its largest postharvest drying facility expansion, installing 380 mechanical drying systems nationwide, with full completion targeted for 2027.
“For the first time in the country’s history, we’ll be completing 380 drying systems for the 2027 wet season,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., calling it the first nationwide rollout of its scale and one of the administration’s largest investments in postharvest infrastructure.
Procurement of the initial 230 dryers is complete, according to Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) Assistant Director Joel Dator, though most are awaiting installation as housing sheds are built.
Two units are already operational in Nueva Ecija, with most of the 230 expected online before year-end. The remaining 150 units will be installed next year, completing the network by September 2027.
The expanded network is expected to add roughly 1 million metric tons of palay-drying capacity per cropping season, protecting freshly harvested palay (unmilled rice) from rain, moisture and spoilage — long-standing causes of postharvest losses and poor grain quality.
DA Undersecretary Christopher Morales estimated the added capacity could generate P3 billion in net income per cropping season, or about P6 billion annually, based on an average P3-per-kilogram premium for properly dried palay over wet palay.
Farmers using the facilities could see net income gains of roughly P12,600 per hectare per cropping season, or P25,200 annually, assuming average yields of 4.2 metric tons per hectare — though actual gains will depend on production levels and facility utilization.
Beyond boosting farm incomes, the project addresses a weak point in the rice value chain. By cutting postharvest losses and improving grain quality for millers, the expanded drying network could meaningfully increase domestic rice supply, moving the country closer to rice sufficiency and food security amid increasingly unpredictable weather.
