NAUJAN, Oriental Mindoro — Officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday formally turned over a P70.2-million rice processing facility to farmers in Naujan, one of the country’s major rice-producing towns.

“This is another step toward realizing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision of a modernized agricultural sector—one where farmers are more productive and profitable, food supply is stable, and prices remain affordable,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel in a message read by DA Regional Technical Director Vener Dilig.

The state-of-the-art facility was delivered through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) mechanization program. It replaces the small-scale postharvest tools used by local farmers in previous decades.

The facility features a Rice Processing System capable of milling up to 3 metric tons per hour, or more than 18 tons per day. It also includes two dryers with a 6-ton-per-batch capacity and two larger dryers handling up to 12 tons per batch.

“With this facility, local farmers can independently dry and mill their rice, reducing dependency on traders and middlemen,” Laurel said. “They are no longer at the mercy of low farmgate prices. Now, they can process and market their rice directly.”

The project is expected to increase farmers’ income and allow them greater control over the value of their harvests, while consumers may benefit from more affordable, locally milled, high-quality rice.

The Naujan facility is part of the DA’s broader effort to modernize postharvest systems and improve the lives of Filipino farmers, translating policy into tangible progress on the ground.