Nueva Ecija to Receive Two More Rice Processing Facilities Aimed at Reducing Post-Harvest Losses
NUEVA ECIJA – Two additional rice processing system facilities are slated for construction in Nueva Ecija province as part of an initiative to help local farmers minimize post-harvest losses.
According to a new release by the Philippines News Agency, the projects come under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture. PHilMech and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Laur signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Tuesday for the establishment of a PHP18 million worth Rice Processing System (RPS) 1 facility.
The RPS 1 facility will be equipped with two units of recirculating dryers with a 6-ton capacity per batch and one unit of a multi-pass rice mill with a 1.5-ton milling capacity per hour. Laur Mayor Christopher B. Daus expressed gratitude to PHilMech for selecting Laur as a recipient and said he hopes the facility will help the town gain recognition in the field of agriculture.
A similar MOA was signed on October 19 between PHilMech and the LGU of Science City of Muñoz for the establishment of an RPS 2 facility at a total cost of PHP61.4 million. RPS 2 will feature a multi-pass rice mill capable of processing two to three tons of palay per hour, along with two units of recirculating dryers with a capacity of 12 tons each. As per the agreement, the LGU will provide a warehouse as a counterpart for the provision of a free RPS facility.
Nueva Ecija’s local governments of Quezon and Cabanatuan, as well as the provincial government, are also recipients of similar RPS facilities. PHilMech Director IV Dionisio G. Alvindia stated that, in addition to reducing postharvest losses, these facilities aim to improve the quality of milled rice and make it accessible to farmers for rice processing services. According to Alvindia, the RPS facilities play a critical role in realizing the benefits of mechanization, complementing the rice production technologies distributed in the first three years of RCEF implementation.