A Php 74.4-million rice processing facility in Cabanatuan City is expected to benefit around 4,060 farmers by giving them easier access to modern drying and milling equipment, the Department of Agriculture said Thursday.
The DA inaugurated the Rice Processing System III facility in Nueva Ecija under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Mechanization Program.
The facility was turned over to the Cabanatuan City government through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization.
Farmers cultivating about 8,976 hectares of rice land are expected to benefit from the facility, which includes a multi-stage rice mill with a capacity of four to five tons per hour.
It also has three recirculating dryers capable of handling 12 tons of palay per batch.
The DA said the facility is expected to speed up drying and milling, reduce postharvest losses, improve rice quality and help raise farmers’ incomes.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said investments in agriculture should ultimately translate into better livelihoods for farming families.
Under the RCEF Mechanization Program, farm and postharvest equipment are provided to qualified farmers’ cooperatives, associations and local government units nationwide.
The amended Rice Tariffication Law extended the program through 2031 and increased its annual allocation from Php 5 billion to Php 9 billion.
