MANILA — Senator Raffy Tulfo pressed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) to account for the shortage of rice dryers nationwide despite the budget allocated under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

At a Senate Committee on Agriculture hearing, Tulfo noted that while the country needs around 22,000 dryers, only 440 have so far been procured. Officials from PhilMech admitted their shortcomings in the program.

“Kapag pumunta kayo ng probinsya, makikita niyo tuwing anihan, umaabot sa dalawa, tatlong kilometro ng palay ang ibinibilad ng mga magsasaka sa kalsada dahil wala silang dryers,” Tulfo said. “Saan napupunta ang budget para sa dryers? Kinurakot na ba?”

The senator warned that the lack of drying facilities forces farmers, especially in rice-producing provinces, to sell wet palay at lower prices, causing significant financial losses.

PhilMech Director Dr. Dionisio Alvinda assured lawmakers that the procurement of dryers will be prioritized in the second phase of the RCEF implementation.