The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday turned over a P70.2 million rice processing facility to farmers in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, one of the country’s major rice-producing towns.
“This is another step toward realizing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision of a modernized agricultural sector—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 regional technical director Vener Dilig.
The facility, built through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, or PhilMech, under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), mechanization program, represents a major leap from the small-scale postharvest tools farmers had relied on for decades.
The facility houses a rice processing system with a mill capable of handling up to 3 metric tons per hour, or more than 18 tons per day. It also houses two dryers with a 6-ton-per-batch capacity and two larger dryers that can process 12 tons per batch.
With this infrastructure, farmers can now dry and mill their own rice, reducing dependence on traders and middlemen. This is expected to boost their incomes and give them greater control over the value of their harvests.
“This facility gives farmers the power to manage their own produce. They are no longer at the mercy of low farmgate prices. Now, they can process and market their rice directly,” Tiu Laurel said.
Consumers are likewise expected to benefit from wider access to locally milled, high-quality rice at more affordable prices.
The Naujan project forms part of the DA’s drive to modernize postharvest systems and translate agricultural policy into tangible gains for Filipino farmers.
