NAGUILIAN, Isabela: To boost rice production, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 2 and the Providers Multipurpose Coop. entered into an Implementation Management Agreement (IMA) for the establishment of more than P184 million worth of rice processing centers here.
According to Regional Executive Director Narciso Edillo of DA Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2), the project was funded under the General Appropriation Act 2023, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), and Providers Multipurpose Coop. counterpart scheme.
Edillo said the total amount of P184,140,000 for the Rice Processing Center 3 (RPC3) includes milling and drying warehouses, a silo, a powerhouse, an office and truck scale lounge that comes with a rice mill, recirculating dryers, hauling trucks, generators, and solar panels.
He added that the DA is assured of the smooth operation of the RPC3 in the hands of the cooperative and stakeholders knowing fully well that they are capable of managing such a colossal operation.
With this, Edillo also cited Republic Act 8435, also known as the 'Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act' or AFMA, which envisions strengthening the agriculture and fisheries sector through modernization to attain food security, poverty alleviation, income enhancement, profitability, global competitiveness and sustainability.
'From this, to fortify the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we have the interventions of the DA-RFO2 with the provision of Agricultural Machinery, Equipment, and Facilities Support Services or AMEFSS to enable small farmers to improve their productivity through appropriate and efficient mechanization technologies [which] is the RPC3,' he said.
On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, the IMA of RPC3 was signed by Edillo with Charito Rosario Aggabao, who represented the top management of Providers Multipurpose Coop. which is also based in this town.
During the signing, Aggabao said they will make the project as a model in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) and the country.
She thanked the DA-RFO2, PhilMech, and stakeholders 'for the opportunity and foremost your trust,' adding that 'we will be needing your technical expertise on this endeavor as we believe with your help, we can do better.'
The IMA signing was witnessed by Dr. Butch Busania, DA-RFO2 regional technical director for operations; Engr. Monico Castro, Field Operations Division chief; Jaime Pagallilauan of Finance and Administration Division; Dr. Marvin Luis, Regional Rice Program coordinator; Engr. Jarel Onting, PhilMech representative; Engr. Daisy Saldo, Engr. Emilio Andres, and Engr. Rene Tugade of Regional Agricultural Engineering Division.