Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

DA Sec. Tiu Laurel awards Php96.7M worth of RCEF grants in Quirino
by Christine V. Ang (September 12, 2024)
On September 12, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. awarded a total of Php96.7 million worth of various farm production machines and postharvest facilities to farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Quirino Province.

The distribution was conducted under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization program of the Rice Tariffication Law, authored by Sen. Cynthia A. Villar.

A total of 22 units of stand-alone machines valued at Php18.6 million, were distributed to 13 FCAs. These include four units of four-wheel tractors, six hand tractors, three PTO-driven disc plows, two levee makers, two threshers, three combine harvesters, and one unit each of rice reaper and single-pass rice mill.

The highlight of the event was the inauguration of a state-of-the-art postharvest facility, the Rice Processing System 3 (RPS 3), valued at Php78.06 million. This was awarded to the Diffun Saranay and Development Cooperative (DISADECO), which will directly benefit from the project's advanced components. These include a multi-stage rice mill with a capacity of 4-5 tons per hour, along with 3 recirculating dryers (12-ton batch capacity) and 2 smaller recirculating dryers (6-ton batch capacity).

In his speech, Sec. Tiu Laurel emphasized the shift towards larger-scale support for the agricultural sector: "Sa mga nakaraang dekada, karamihan ng binibigay ng Department of Agriculture ay maliliit na makinarya lamang o postharvest facilities, pero ngayon iba na po. Sa bagong Pilipinas, malalaki na po ang ibinibigay natin. Makapagpatutuyo na kayo ng inyong ani. Makapagpoproseso na kayo ng inyong bigas. At tiyak na makatutulong ito sa inyong komunidad."

He further noted the importance of self-sufficiency: "Hindi na kayo mapipilitan - ang mga magsasaka - na ibenta sa traders ang inyong ani sa murang halaga, sa halip ay kayo mismo ang magpapatuyo at magpoproseso nito. Sa kabila nito, kami namang mga consumers ng bigas ay posibleng makabili ng bigas sa abot-kayang halaga."

DISADECO, composed of 2,320 farmer members, manages a total of 3,502 hectares of Diffun’s total rice area. The cooperative is expected to significantly improve its agricultural productivity and postharvest efficiency, enhancing the livelihoods and economic sustainability of its members through the provision of these advanced facilities.

With the RPS 3, the cooperative will become more competent in the rice market, ultimately boosting both local food security and the incomes of farmers in the region.

Also in attendance at the event were PHilMech Director for Research and Development Dr. Nelson C. Santiago, PHilMech FMFOD Chief May Ville B. Castro, DA Region II Executive Director Rose Mary G. Aquino, Provincial Agriculturist Florence C. Mangoba, Quirino Governor Hon. Dakila Carlo E. Cua, and Diffun Mayor Hon. May G. Calaunan.