PH, Korea boost rice supply chain with new Nueva Ecija complex
The Philippine and Korean governments inaugurated new rice seed processing and cold storage facilities in Nueva Ecija that the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said would enhance the country’s rice supply chain.
PhilRice said these facilities would help reduce postharvest losses, speed up processing and ensure the timely distribution of quality seeds to growers and farmers.
Located at the PhilRice’s office in the Science City of Muñoz, these are designed to improve processing and storage and prolong the shelf life of high-quality certified seeds.
The seed processing and storage complex is also built to ensure uniform drying and efficient operations, as well as stabilize seed supply and improve productivity.
The project is funded by Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Mafra) and the Korean Rural Community Corp. (KRC) and implemented by the Global Agriculture Policy Institute (Gapi).
Mafra director Kim Shin-jae said the new seed facilities and training systems would “serve as a stepping stone to take the Philippines’ agricultural technology infrastructure to the next level.”
The Philippines and Korea began the development of the seed processing and storage facilities in 2023, marking the strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries.
The development came around the time that storms struck many parts of the country, although the Department of Agriculture (DA) has yet to issue a bulletin on Super Typhoon “Uwan’s “ (international name: Fung-wong)impact on the farm sector.
The agriculture sector sustained P159.14 million in losses following the onslaught of Tropical Storm “Tino” (Kalmaegi), based on the DA’s bulletin released on Sunday.
Among crops, rice accounted for 78.88 percent of the overall damage with P125.53 million, mostly in reproductive and maturity stages.
The DA recently revised its palay output forecast to range between 20.2 million metric tons (MT) and 20.5 million MT for 2025, lower than the previous projection of 20.09 million MT to 20.39 million MT due to weather disturbances.
If achieved, the new estimate would still surpass the 2023 palay production record high of 20.06 million MT.
