P500-M cold storage plant nears switch-on in CamSur
A P500-million cold storage facility in Camarines Sur is set to begin operations by early March, intended to preserve harvests and help boost farmers’ income.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the facility in Pili town will enable farmers to store and process produce and time their sales instead of selling upon harvest at low prices.
The cold storage facility will feature six refrigerated warehouses with a combined 2,688 pallet positions.
At full capacity, the complex can store about 4,600 metric tons of boxed meat or 3,000 metric tons of vegetables.
It is also equipped with a blast freezer, processing and packing areas and a solar power system. The DA said this will help reduce electricity costs and enhance operating efficiency.
Once completed, the facility is expected to help stabilize food prices while protecting farmers from sharp market swings.
The complex was initially targeted for completion in December last year. However, typhoons and weather-related disruptions delayed the start of its operations to late February or early March.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. inspected the facility and said they are exerting efforts to push the project forward.
“This investment strengthens food security, creates jobs, attracts agri-investments, and—most importantly—raises incomes of farmers, fishers, and everyone in the agriculture value chain across Bicol and neighboring regions,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We’re working double time to finish this as soon as possible,” Villafuerte said. He added that the cold storage facility will serve the entire Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Villafuerte also said most farm produce from the Visayas and Mindanao pass through Camarines Sur en route to Metro Manila and other major Luzon markets, making the province a natural logistics node.
Tiu Laurel said the DA earmarked another P500 million to build a complementary food hub. It will provide trading and distribution facilities to complete the province’s emerging food system.
The agency is targeting to begin its construction in June and will run for about 12 months.
The DA said last year the Camarines Sur facility is part of a nationwide network of mega and modular cold storage facilities in the pipeline. Sites include Taguig City, Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro and Isabela.
