A worker pours unhusked rice (palay) at a storage and milling facility in Barangay Casongsong, Guimba, Nueva Ecija on Friday (March 27, 2026). More than one million farmers nationwide are benefiting from higher income due to the modern rice mills and dryers provided by the government. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
More than one million farmers across the Philippines are now earning more as the government expands the rollout of modern rice mills and drying facilities under its farm modernization program.
In a report to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Agriculture said a total of 151 rice processing systems (RPS) have already been established nationwide through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Of the total, 87 facilities are already operational, while the remaining units are expected to go online in the coming days.
The DA said these modern post-harvest facilities are helping farmers raise their earnings by an additional P2 to P3 per kilo, translating to roughly 3 to 5 percent more income.
Each rice processing system includes a modern rice mill and dryers, which have been distributed to rice farmers’ cooperatives and associations in 40 local government units nationwide. The facilities are designed to allow farmers to retain more value from their harvest by cutting post-harvest losses and improving processing efficiency.
President Marcos recently visited one of the facilities in Nueva Ecija, where he saw firsthand how the equipment was helping local farmers and cooperatives.
“Nandito na ang milling, nandito na ang drying. Lahat ng value-added eh nandito. Naiiwan sa kooperatiba. Naiiwan sa magsasaka,” the President said, stressing that more of the income now stays with the farmers and their cooperatives.
He added: “’Yung mga nagsasaka, nakangiti. Ibig-sabihin maayos ang kanilang hanap-buhay.”
The administration has been pushing to modernize Philippine agriculture through the RCEF, which carries an annual budget of P9 billion. Beyond rice mills and drying facilities, the program also provides farmers with tillers, tractors, seeders, threshers, and irrigation pumps aimed at improving productivity and reducing costs.
So far, more than 8,000 farmers’ cooperatives have benefited from the initiative, strengthening their capacity to support members and improve operations at the community level.
The government is also targeting the establishment of 370 rice drying facilities and warehouses by the end of the year, further widening support for farmers and reinforcing efforts to modernize the country’s rice sector.
