The National Food Authority (NFA) has inaugurated a modern post-harvest facility for grains in Dumangas, Iloilo, worth P355.4 million. This facility, designed to ensure the Philippines maintains a resilient rice reserve, features a modern warehouse equipped with a mill that can process 10 tons of palay (unmilled rice) per hour and a mechanical dryer with throughput of 240 tons of palay per day.
The Dumangas facility is expected to benefit rice farmers and their associations in Dumangas, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, San Enrique, and Passi City. With the new facility in place, the NFA expects to enable the purchase of an additional 3,600 bags of palay daily, or about 324,000 bags over two crop seasons, a significant increase from the average annual procurement of 281,728 bags over the past five years.
Agriculture Secretary and NFA Council Chairman Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. emphasized the importance of modern post-harvest facilities in procuring more palay, reducing post-harvest losses, improving grain quality, and building stronger rice reserves. "Every bag we procure strengthens the country's ability to keep rice affordable and available, especially during supply disruptions," he said.
NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson called the Dumangas facility an investment in productivity and food security, as well as a major upgrade in procurement operations in the Western Visayas. "Modern equipment allows us to buy more palay, reduce waste, and move grain into our buffer stocks faster," he said. "Farmers gain a dependable buyer, while consumers benefit from a stronger and more reliable rice supply."
