The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday led the turnover of a PHP67.63-million rice processing system (RPS) at Barangay Antipuluan in Narra, Palawan, showing the government’s support for the agricultural potential of the province.
The project, funded under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program, was completed in October 2025.
More than 5,500 Narra rice farmers cultivating around 12,000 hectares of rice land are expected to benefit from the Narra facility.
“If we are serious about food security, then investments like this must reach places like Palawan, where the potential is high, but logistics have long been a constraint,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
The RPS features a multi-stage rice mill with a capacity of up to three tons per hour, and can run from 16 to 20 hours per day. It also includes four recirculating dryers with a six-ton per batch capacity.
With the utilization of the RPS, farmers will enjoy about PHP3 per kilogram cut in production cost, and a projected 5-percent slash in postharvest losses.
“This is how we win back our edge in rice. We don’t just increase production, we make every kilo count by cutting losses, lowering costs, and ensuring farmers capture more value,” Tiu Laurel said. (PNA)
