Reigns as the gateway to the Visayan belt, Iloilo is not only rich in cultural heritage and natural wonders but it is also endowed with abundant agricultural landscape which boasts of fertile lands and seas that yield plentiful harvests.

However, the agriculture industry is handicapped with postharvest problems due to insufficient knowledge on postharvest interventions which result to crop wastage and profit loss among farmers.

Thus, the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension in close collaboration with the Provincial Government of Iloilo crafted a postharvest development plan to protect every yield from the farm until it reaches the market.

`Malaki ang naitulong ng postharvest development plan sa amin. (The postharvest development is really such a great help to us.),` Engr. Salvador B. Alipe, Agricultural Engineering Section Chief of the Provincial Agriculturist Office in Iloilo.

He noticed the difference of having a postharvest development plan from not having one. `Dati kasi nag-implement kami ng postharvest development pero hindi maganda ang outcome dahil walang development plan na guide namin sa implementation. (When we implemented postharvest development before, the outcome didn't turn out well because we had development plan to guide us in the implementation.),` he added.

In 2003, BPRE implemented the project `Pilot Project on Postharvest Database and Master Planning` covering Isabela and Pangasinan” which proved to be practicable and effective.

As a result, a protocol in preparing provincial postharvest development plans on a nationwide scale was established. A joint memorandum circular #11 series of 2004 was issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which directs DA and Local Government Units to immediately develop a plan for postharvest and other engineering projects.

Moreover, Iloilo is one of the provinces that actively participated in the project `National Inventory of Postharvest Facility and Agricultural Machinery` which was jointly implemented by the BPRE and the Philippine Society of Agricultural Engineers (PSAE) in 2000 to 2001.

The province of Iloilo then expressed interest to formulate a Provincial Postharvest Development Plan. In the same way, BPRE has committed to provide technical assistance and capability enhancement activities towards the formulation of the plans.

The 10-year Iloilo provincial postharvest development plan was developed through a bottom-up participatory and comprehensive planning process.

The formulation of the provincial postharvest development plan involved the inventory of postharvest facility and consolidation of gathered data on agricultural production and other information about the province, development of Postharvest Facility Information System using MIS support; holding of provincial postharvest development consultation and planning workshop; and drafting, finalization and packaging of the Provincial Postharvest Development Plan.

The postharvest development plan covers rice, corn, ornamental and cutflower, fruit and vegetables and fishery commodities. However, analyses were mainly focused on rice and corn.

Existing postharvest facility data were validated on the field in collaboration with the PAO and the Municipal Agriculture Offices in the province. Using these validated data, postharvest facility maps and commodity maps were generated to indicate the locations of the different postharvest facilities and show the extent of production areas of the province, respectively.

`Sa tulong ng mapa, makikita natin agad yung available postharvest facilities. Kaya malalaman agad natin kung saan pa tayo pwedeng magdagdag ng facilities na makatutulong sa ating mga magsasaka (Through the maps, we will immediately see the available postharvest facilities. That way, we already know where to place additional facilities which could help our farmers),` Engr. Alipe asserted.

It was revealed during the consultation and planning workshop that high postharvest losses are incurred due to insufficient knowledge and unavailability of postharvest technologies.

Based on the identified postharvest problems, programs and projects were proposed which are aimed to improve the postharvest industry.

These include the establishment of Rice Processing Complex, Community-Based Drying Center, Corn Mechanization Service Center, Agricultural Trading Post with Cold Chain System, Mango Agribusiness Center, Minimal Processing Center for Fruits and Vegetables, Integrated Fish Processing Center and Establishment of a Cold Chain System and Minimal Processing Plant for Fish.

He continued, `Kaya sa pamamagitan ng mga ph facilities na ito, mababawasan ang postharvest losses at madadagdagan ang kanilang mga kita. (Through these postharvest facilities, there will be reduced postharvest losses and increased income among them.)`

He also cited that through BPRE, they found an ally in the successful implementation of the postharvest development plan in their province. `Nagbibigay sila ng mga lecture at training para sa ating mga agricultural technicians, (They give lectures and trainings for our agricultural technicians)` he told.

Engr. Alipe also expressed his gratefulness for the support they are getting from the government. `Nagpapasalamat kami sa Department of Agriculture at BPRE para sa programang ito. Kung wala ang development plan, wala tayong guide sa implementation ng postharvest development sa province, (We are thankful to the Department of Agriculture and BPRE for this program. Without the development plan, we will have no guide in the implementation of postharvest development in the province)` he said.

With the postharvest development plan, Iloilo province will be more than just a place of historical antiquity and fascinating sceneries but of agricultural prosperity.