Source: Business World
13/02/2012 - A rice processing complex in Davao del Sur that is expected to modernize processing is expected to be completed this year, an official said.

"This postharvest facility aims at introducing modern facilities in the area for palay processing," said Rodolfo P. Estigoy, chief of the applied communication division of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization.

The complex received a P120-million grant from the Korean International Cooperation Agency. It is a joint project with the Department of Agriculture as part of the Korea-Philippines Modern Integrated Rice Milling and Complex Phase II Project.

Phase II covers similar facilities in Pototan, Iloilo; Pilar, Bohol; and Santa Barbara, Pangasinan.

The project took off from the success of a similar initiative in South Korea where construction of rice processing complexes as well as drying and storage facilities resulted in reduced postharvest loss of only 1% from 6%.

Mr. Estigoy said the program will improve farmer income and help in attaining the government’s rice self-sufficiency target by the end of next year.

The project in Matanao town, which started construction last year, was endorsed by the Regional Development Council given its expected benefits to the community during the construction phase and to farmers once it is completed.

Ma. Lourdes T. Lim, regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority, earlier said more than 7,000 farmers in Matanao alone can benefit from the facility.

Farmers will also reap benefits from the patronage fee, or amount paid back to farmers patronizing the complex, or P1 for every kilogram of paddy rice milled, she added.

A calculation of the patronage fee for a P1.8-hectare farm showed that with an average yield of 4.5 metric tons per hectare for each of the two cropping seasons, a farmer can earn at least P16,000 per year, she said. 

Mr. Estigoy said the rice processing complex in Matanao will help farmers raise the quality of harvest and improve their income through the use of a kerosene-powered furnace.

"The mechanical dryers are expected to shorten the drying time of palay, and are expected to improve the quality of the grains," he said.

The Agriculture department’s Web site noted that the rice complex in Matanao will include warehouses, seed cleaning and storage plants, a drying plant and hauling facilities.

The facility will also be mechanized to separate the whole grain rice from the broken one so farmers can demand a higher price in the market.