Cabanatuan city: A PHP74.4-million rice processing facility in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, is expected to benefit about 4,060 farmers by providing easier access to modern drying and milling equipment, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday. The new Rice Processing System (RPS) III facility, funded through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program, has been inaugurated in Nueva Ecija, the nation's top rice-producing province.

According to Philippines News Agency, the facility was handed over to the Cabanatuan City government through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech). Farmers cultivating approximately 8,976 hectares of rice land in the city are anticipated to benefit from this facility, which includes a multi-stage rice mill with a capacity of 4 to 5 tons per hour. Additionally, it is equipped with three recirculating dryers, each capable of drying 12 tons of palay per batch, providing farmers with postharvest processing facilities closer to their farms.

The Department of Agriculture stated that the facility is expected to accelerate drying and milling processes, reduce postharvest losses, enhance rice quality, and ultimately increase farmers' incomes. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that the impact of such investments should be measured by improvements in the lives of farmers. He remarked, 'The true progress of agriculture is not measured only by the volume of rice harvested, but by the comfort and prosperity it brings to the table of every farming family.'

Under the RCEF Mechanization Program, farm and postharvest equipment are offered to eligible farmers' cooperatives, associations, and local government units across the country. The amended Rice Tariffication Law has extended the program through 2031, increasing its annual allocation to PHP9 billion from PHP5 billion.