SAN AGUSTIN, PILI, CAMARINES SUR – Five farmers cooperatives/associations received the P1M working capital each for their Rice Processing Center 1 to be used in buying palay from our local farmers.

DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Elena B. de los Santos led the turn over of checks on March 11 and March 18, 2019 at the regional office.

The recipients were cooperatives from Camarines Sur province: San Antonio Farmers Irrigators’ Multipurpose Coop (SAFIMCO) of Buhi; Magarao Multi-purpose Coop.; Nabua Coconut Farmers Multi-purpose Assn. with 65 members who were represented by its Chairperson Trinidad D. Sarsuzo. Nabua West Multi-Purpose Coop with 360 members who are rice and corn farmers, headed by Chairperson Julian B. Abonal Jr; and the Cam. Sur Multi-purpose Coop with over 3,000 farmer members represented by its General Manager Annielen L. Panerio.

The DA has established a total of 37 Rice Processing Centers all over the Bicol Region. Most of it are in Camarines Sur as the province contributes more than 50% of rice production of the region.

Rice Processing Center (RPC) is one of DA’s big ticket projects being given to duly registered farmers organizations engaged in rice farming and willing to engage in palay and rice trading to provide them access to modern and efficient drying and milling facilities. The equity is in the form of lot with a minimum area of 1,000 sq. m. and surrounded by more than 5,000 hectares rice area within 50-km radius.

This P16M worth RPC has a multipass rice mill with 1.2 tons per hour output capacity and a minimum of 65% milling recovery; 1 ton weighing scale and 1 unit portable moisture meter; 3 sets recirculating grain dryer with biomass furnace with a holding capacity of 6 tons of wet palay per set; 550 square meter warehouse with complete drainage, rat proofing and 3-phase line electrical system including transformers. (Lovella P. Guarin)