NFA brings online P355-M grains facility
The National Food Authority (NFA) unveiled a P355.4-million facility in Iloilo to boost its rice inventory and reduce postharvest losses in one of the country’s major rice-producing regions.
The integrated grains facility situated in the town of Dumangas is designed to significantly improve the NFA’s capacity to buy, dry, mill and store palay (unmilled rice) in the area.
It will serve rice-producing areas in Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, Passi City and San Enrique. Collectively, these areas produce around 4.85 million bags of palay yearly.
The NFA said the facility is equipped with a 10-ton-per-hour rice mill and a 240-ton-per-day mechanical grain dryer.
It is expected to benefit more than 1,000 additional farmers, in addition to 804 rice farmers and 41 farmers’ organizations—representing about 2,000 members—already being served by the Dumangas Grains Center.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the investment will boost national food security while supporting local farmers.
“Modern postharvest facilities allow the NFA to procure more palay, cut post-harvest losses, improve grain quality and build stronger buffer stocks,” said Tiu Laurel, who also chairs the NFA Council.
“Every bag we save and every bag we procure strengthens the country’s ability to keep rice affordable and available, especially during supply disruptions,” he added.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the Dumangas facility marks a major upgrade to the agency’s procurement operations in Western Visayas.
“Modern equipment allows us to buy more palay, reduce waste and move grain into our buffer stocks faster. Farmers gain a dependable buyer, while consumers benefit from a stronger and more reliable rice supply,” Lacson said in a statement on Wednesday.
The NFA said it expects to buy an additional 3,600 bags of palay daily, or about 324,000 bags over two cropping seasons.
That volume is substantially bigger than NFA’s average yearly procurement of 281,728 bags in Dumangas over the past five years.
The facility will also increase the NFA’s palay absorption rate in the covered production areas to between 10 percent and 12 percent.
