THE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday inaugurated a P74.4-million rice-processing facility in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, giving 4,060 farmers access to modern drying and milling equipment.
The Rice Processing System III was funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program and turned over to the Cabanatuan City government through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization.
The facility has a multistage rice mill capable of processing four to five tons an hour and three recirculating dryers, each with a capacity of 12 tons per batch.
The DA said the facility would give farmers access to postharvest services closer to their farms, reducing their dependence on the immediate sale of palay after harvest.
It is also expected to accelerate drying and milling, reduce postharvest losses, improve rice quality and allow farmers to retain more of their crops’ value.
“The true progress of agriculture is not measured only by the volume of rice harvested, but by the comfort and prosperity it brings to the table of every farming family,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
The investment is part of government efforts to make rice farming more productive and competitive in Nueva Ecija, the country’s leading rice-producing province and a major contributor to the national food supply.
Under the RCEF Mechanization Program, farm and postharvest equipment is distributed to qualified farmers’ cooperatives and associations and local governments to improve productivity, profitability and competitiveness.
The program has been extended until 2031 under amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law, with its annual allocation increased to P9 billion from P5 billion.
The DA said the facility would support the broader modernization of the rice sector by lowering production and postharvest costs, raising farmers’ incomes and strengthening food security.
