DA, PhilMech distribute P135.8 million rice mills, dryers in Jaen, Guimba

The Department of Agriculture on Thursday distributed PHP135.8 million of posthartvest facilities and financial assistance to farmers and farmers’ groups in two towns in Nueva Ecija, the country’s largest rice producing province.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. led separate activities in Jaen and Guimba to distribute rice mills and dryers that will benefit two farmers’ cooperative with total membership of 344 farmers tilling a total 476 hectares in the two municipalities.

The postharvest facilities came from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), the lead DA agency for the Rice Competitiveness and Enhancement Fund Mechanization Program. PhilMech gets the lion’s share of the P10 billion taken from RCEF which is funded by duties on imported rice set under the Rice Tariffication Law.

Joining Secretary Tiu Laurel in the Nueva Ecija events are other government officials led by Congresswoman Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, Nueva Ecija Acting Governor Emmanuel Antonio M. Umali, local government representatives, representative of Senator Cynthia Villar, chairwoman of the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and principal author of the Rice Tariffication Law.

Senator Villar is also spearheading efforts in Congress to extend the law to further improve rice farmers’ productivity and incomes.

“The government is giving back to farmers what is due them and with the help of our legislators we could provide rice producers more assistance to enhance their competitiveness through the extension of the Rice Tariffication Law,” said the DA chief.

Sec. Tiu Laurel envisions more irrigation, postharvest facilities and other infrastructures that would help increase farm yields, lower the cost of inputs, and raise farmers’ incomes while assuring the country’s food security.

In Jaen, the DA and PhilMech provided the Pakul Primary Multi-purpose Cooperative with a rice processing system II that includes a state-of-the-art, multi-stage rice mill with a capacity of 2-3 tons per hour which also has a pre-cleaner, de-stoner, huller, mist polisher, length grader, color sorter, blending tank, automatic packing machine for milled rice, rice hull