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

SUCCESS STORIES

Pecuaria Development Coop and the Flatbed Dryer
by (July 16, 2012)
The Pecuaria Development Cooperative Incorporated (PDCI), a recipient of the Department of Agriculture’s 2007 Gawad Saka Award for Best Organic Farm. The PDCI is a producer of different varies of organic healthy rice, white, pink, polished red, unpolished red, brown, black rice, violet rice, aromatic and blended rice. These are marketed nationwide in popular malls and supermarkets such as Shoe Mart, Robinsons, Puregold, Ever, Waltermart and other high-end markets.

Whereas before farmers of PDCI use the multi-purpose drying pavement in drying their organic produce, now they use the flatbed dryer they acquired from DA-PHilMech. This resulted to a lot of benefits for their cooperative. They are now on-time in their production and deliveries even during the rainy season. After a year of having the flatbed dryer, the PDCI’s organic rice is now available year-round.

Mr. Miller Bicaldo, general manager of the cooperative, said: “Iba pa rin ang resulta ng tuyo sa flatbed dryer. Mas marami kaming naiimbak na palay. Mas maganda ang resulta compared noong wala pa kaming flatbed dryer.” (Grains dried in the flatbed dryer are absolutely different. We can now store more palay. Palay dried in the flatbed dryer is a lot better). “Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa gobyerno lalo na sa PHilMech at sa DA na mayroong mga support na ganito. (We are thankful to the government especially to PHilMech and DA for having a support like this).