A PHP17.4-million rice processing system (RPS) was officially inaugurated and turned over to the local government of Taraka, Lanao del Sur, on Thursday.

The project, facilitated by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), brings modern agricultural support directly to local farmers.

In his speech during the turnover, MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said the project fulfills President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to bring agricultural modernization to the grassroots.

“As the President often says, real progress in agriculture must be felt directly in the fields, and today, we are seeing that promise come to life,” he said.

The facility, which is now operational, was funded under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech). It includes a multi-stage rice mill and recirculating dryers and is designed to reduce post-harvest losses, improve grain quality and help farmers get better market prices.

Magno said agriculture and food security are key parts of President Marcos’s economic plan. The strategy focuses on improving irrigation, expanding mechanization, modernizing post-harvest processes and offering farmers better access to credit and insurance to boost local production and stabilize prices.

“We have worked hand-in-hand with Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua and other ministries and local leaders to ensure that Mindanao’s transformation is felt across all its corridors, including those historically underserved,” he said.

A total of 950 farmer-members cultivating 1,300 hectares of rice fields in Taraka stand to benefit directly from the project.

One of the farmer-beneficiaries, Asalam Macapodi of Barangay Pagalamatan, who tills 2.5 hectares of rice, thanked the national government for the project. He said the lack of proper drying facilities often forces him to sell his harvest to traders at a loss, especially during the rainy season.

“We are forced to sell raw palay (unhusked rice) at P15 per kilo. However, if it is dried, it will be sold at P25 per kilo,” Macapodi said in a phone interview. (PNA)