Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija
(044) 4560-213, od@philmech.gov.ph

NEWS STORIES

FBDs save tons of palay affected by typhoon `Juan`
by Vladimir B. Caliguiran (October 20, 2010)
The Department of Agriculture is monitoring the impact of typhoon Juan on rice industry in Nueva Ecija after Signal No. 2 hoisted in the province last Monday.

Typhoon Juan made landfall on Monday in North and Central Luzon affecting top rice producing provinces like Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac.

Nueva Ecija is the largest rice producing in the country. The visit of the super typhoon is concurrent with the harvesting in Central Luzon.

According to the Nueva Ecija Provincial Agriculture Office about 20, 000 hectares of the total 50, 000 hectares of rice field has been harvested as of Saturday.

According to the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) based in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, harvested and threshed palay should be immediately dried to avoid mold infestation and to prevent sprouting.

Engr. Don David Julian of PHilMech said the damage of typhoon Juan on harvested palay in the province will be minimal because majority of the farmers are using mechanical dryers.

`Twenty-four hours na nag-ooperate itong flatbed dryer. Pagkatapos ng anim hanggang walong oras makakatuyo na kami ng mahigit sa 100 kaban ng palay,` said Apolonio Alejo, a farmer of Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.

`Malaking tulong talaga ang dryer sa aming mga magsasaka lalo na kapag ganitong bumabagyo at tag-ulan,` Alejo added.

According to Alejo, tons of palay are already scheduled to be dried on the 6-tonner biomass- fed flatbed dryer.

In the random monitoring of PHilMech during the onslaught of typhoon Juan six flatbed dryers in Nueva Ecija is on operation. In addition, flatbed dryers in Pangasinan and Cagayan are also being used.

Also, PHilMech is currently monitoring the dryers in Region II and CAR so that assistance and immediate repairs of the dryers could be done.