PHilMech, led by its Enterprise Development Division, continued to equip beneficiaries of the RCEF's rice processing system (RPS) on the operation and management of rice processing enterprises through a four-day training workshop held at PHilMech, Nueva Ecija, from March 19 to 22.

A total of 31 participants from seven farmers' cooperatives and associations and local government units in Isabela, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Pampanga, attended the workshop to enhance their understanding of establishing a sustainable enterprise.

Each participant learned about grain anatomy and quality standards, palay classification and procurement, principles of drying and milling, warehouse management, QR-based tagging systems, selling and distribution, inventory management, and the financial aspects.

As part of the workshop, a "lakbay aral" to the Talabutab Norte Primary Multipurpose Cooperative in General Natividad, Nueva Ecija, was also organized. This allowed participants to learn about the cooperative's operational and management practices and witness the actual operation of the cooperative's rice processing enterprise.

Mr. Loreto S. Soriano, the representative of municipal local government unit of Alicia, Isabela, perceived the workshop as a valuable addition to his management knowledge.

The RPS, under the RCEF Mechanization Program, is a state-of-the-art drying and milling facility designed to reduce postharvest losses, increase farmers' income, improve milled rice quality, and optimize rice mechanization. It complements the production technologies distributed in earlier implementations and represents a crucial step in achieving the overall objectives of the program.