The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday turned over a PHP70.2-million worth of rice processing facility to support palay (unhusked rice) farmers in Oriental Mindoro.

In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the project will boost the government’s modernization drive and protect farmers from unscrupulous traders who take advantage of them through unreasonably low palay buying prices.

“This facility gives farmers the power to manage their own produce. They are no longer at the mercy of low farmgate prices. Now, they can process and market their rice directly,” he said.

Local farmers in Naujan, one of the country’s top rice-producing towns, will directly benefit from the operation of the state-of-the-art facility.

The modernized complex includes a Rice Processing System capable of milling more than 18 metric tons (MT) per day or 3 MT per hour.

It is also equipped with two large dryers with a 12-MT capacity per batch, and two smaller dryers with a 6-MT capacity per batch.

Rice machinery, roadshow

The DA also turned over about PHP20.196 million worth of rice machinery and equipment to 11 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and provincial government Oriental Mindoro.

These include seven four-wheel tractors and four village-type rice mills.

For Occidental Mindoro, nine four-wheel tractors worth PHP21.599 million will also be given to nine FCAs and the provincial government.

The facility and machinery were all funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund mechanization program.

Tiu Laurel said the initiative highlights the Marcos administration’s commitment to modernizing the agricultural sector.

“This is another step toward realizing President Ferdinand (R.) Marcos Jr.’s vision of a modernized agricultural sector—one where farmers are more productive and profitable, food supply is stable, and prices remain affordable,” he said.

In a related development, the DA, in partnership with the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO), also launched on Tuesday a two-day roadshow to provide a platform to more than 1,200 participants for the promotion of innovative tools and technologies that will help boost local output and advance food security.

During the first day, over 700 farmers, extension workers, and agricultural stakeholders joined the event.

Among the featured equipment in the mechanization roadshow are TYM Four-Wheel Tractor, WECAN Farm Implements, Sungboo Levee Maker, and the BULLS Onion Mechanization Machinery System, as well as onion planters or seeders, mobile elevated work platforms, and corn mills.

“This is more than just a display of machines; this is our commitment to help farmers become more competitive, efficient, and sustainable,” DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said. (PNA)