Agri dep’t earmarks P3.3B for rice facilities
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked P3.3 billion to improve rice yield and reduce postharvest losses over the next three years.
In a statement on Thursday, the DA said the budget allocation will be used to set up 300 drying systems across the archipelago.
The DA is targeting the completion of 145 rice processing systems nationwide this year to address “the chronic lack of drying and milling facilities” that still affect local rice farmers.
To date, 118 rice processing systems have been established nationwide. The agency said the delivery, installation and commissioning of the remaining 27 facilities will be completed by December.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the completion of 145 rice processing systems in three years is “a scale of investment” unmatched in the DA’s history.
“This is a legacy investment,” Tiu Laurel said. “One that finally gives our farmers the tools to compete and thrive.”
Citing industry estimates, the DA noted that the rice sector loses up to 16 percent of potential yield due to postharvest inefficiencies.
“This aggressive infrastructure build-out could mark a turning point for the country’s beleaguered rice industry. Postharvest losses, inefficiencies in the supply chain, and poor access to processing facilities have long eroded farmer income and inflated consumer prices,” it added.
