The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will unveil one new shared service facility and enhance the two other existing facilities, benefiting three farmers’ associations in Antique, before the year ends.

DTI Antique Provincial Director Mary Jade Gonzales on Thursday said the Regional Technical Committee (RTC) approved on Sept. 8 the PHP8.4 million for the three projects.

The committee is composed of the Department of Science and Technology, DTI and a private sector representative.

Gonzales said in an interview that the committee approved the proposed SSF for meat processing of the Sibalom Livestock and Poultry-Raisers Association (SILPRA), amounting to PHP2.99 million.

Also receiving the go signal was the enhancement, or the greening, of the Belison Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) for Dairy Milk Processing and Packaging, worth PHP2.99 million, and the Patnongon MPC for Animal and Livestock Feed Production in the amount of PHP2.4 million.

The existing SSFs will install solar panels to reduce the electricity consumption in their operations.

“SILPRA, where the new SSF will be implemented this year, has requested the needed equipment,” she said.

SILPRA president, Elma Peña, said they had requested the SSF to process the poultry and meat products they produced into longganisa and other food products.

She said SILPRA has 871 farmer-members engaged in raising chickens and meat processing.

“Through the SSF, we have requested various equipment such as a vacuum cleaner, meat mixer, hamburger machine and many more that we could use in the meat processing,“ she said.

DTI Antique will hold the bidding for the procurement of the equipment in the coming days. (PNA)