The Department of Agriculture has turned over a P70.2-million rice processing facility to farmers in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro—one of the country’s leading rice-producing towns—in a move to reduce post-harvest losses and improve recovery yields.
“This is another step toward realizing President Ferdinand 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,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a message delivered by Vener Dilig, the DA’s Regional Technical Director.
A core feature of the state-of-the-art facility is a rice processing system capable of handling up to 3 metric tons per hour—over 18 tons per day.
It includes two dryers with a 6-ton-per-batch capacity, as well as two larger dryers that can handle up to 12 tons per batch.
According to the DA, the facility is expected to increase farmers’ income by giving them greater control over their produce.
In particular, it enables domestic farmers to dry and mill their rice, thereby reducing their reliance on traders and middlemen.
“They are no longer at the mercy of low farmgate prices. Now, they can process and market their rice directly,” the agriculture chief said.
The facility was funded under the mechanization program of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), currently implemented by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization.
“It represents a significant upgrade from the small-scale postharvest tools used in past decades,” the DA added.
Consumers are also expected to benefit from the Naujan rice processing facility, with increased access to locally milled, high-quality rice at more affordable prices.
The DA’s price monitoring as of September 22 showed that local regular milled rice retailed from P33 to P42 per kilogram, while well-milled rice was priced between P38 and P52 per kg.
Imported regular milled rice ranged from P30 to P44 per kilogram, while well-milled rice was sold for P38 to P48 per kilogram.
