Ilocos Norte to Establish Multi-Commodity Processing Center in Sarrat Town

Laoag City – The government of Ilocos Norte is set to assist more farmers by establishing a multi-commodity processing center in Sarrat town. This initiative aims to support farmers of high-value crops and reduce post-harvest losses.

According to Philippines News Agency, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Agriculture Office, the move follows the approval of the department’s PHP81.9 million budget for the next year, an increase from this year’s PHP56.9 million. The budget increment primarily caters to the establishment of the processing center, a project funded under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). The provincial government will contribute PHP20 million as a counterpart. Bacnat emphasized that the center is crucial in minimizing farmers’ losses, especially when there’s an excess production of high-value crops like mango, garlic, onion, tomato, and mung bean. She added that discussions for implementing the project are underway, with a targeted start in early 2024.

The Provincial Agriculture Office is currently collaborating with the Department of Agriculture and other agencies to encourage farmers’ organizations to adopt clustered farming. This approach aims to consolidate production, thereby improving market access and understanding market dynamics. Cluster farming is expected to facilitate better linkages for farmers and access to technical and financial support from both the government and private sector.

Additionally, Lawyer Pancho Jose, chief of staff of Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc and agriculture project consultant of Ilocos Norte, noted ongoing discussions about using the government lot of the defunct Northern Foods Corporation for the new processing center. Concurrently, construction of a PHP44.6 million tomato cold storage facility, managed by the San Joaquin Multi-purpose Cooperative, has begun in Sarrat town. This facility, part of the Enterprise Development Component (I-REAP) of the DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project, addresses the lack of storage during the harvest season from February to April. It aims to prevent farmers from being compelled to sell their produce at low prices to traders during peak harvest times.