GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – The provincial government is putting up a warehouse with recirculating dryer in eight municipalities of the province to help farmers in ensuring that their products are of good quality and command higher prices even in times of calamities.
With the support of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the ongoing projects are simultaneously being built in the towns of Peñaranda, Cuyapo, Guimba, Talavera, Pantabangan, Rizal, Sta, Rosa, and San Antonio.
Nestor Sarangaya, Provincial Engineering Office chief, said the projects are meant to help farmers to dry and store their products until they are marketed to the Nueva Ecija Provincial Food Council, National Food Authority (NFA), or private traders.
He said the recirculating dryer has the capacity to dry palay up to 3,000 cavans per day
“Malaking tulong ito sa atin, lalo na sa mga magsasaka natin (This is a big help to us, most especially to our farmers),” he said in a radio interview.
Farmers who are members of the Guimba-Victoria Irrigators Association, Bangon Cuyapo Nampicuan Farmers Irrigators Association and Valle PMPC thanked the DA and Governor Aurelio Umali for the projects that would help them, especially during wet season where the price of palay is relatively low.
“Kami ay labis labis na nagpapasalamat po dahil binigyan kami ng ganitong proyekto na malaking kapakinabangan naming mga magsasaka (We are very grateful because we were provided with this kind of project that is of great benefit to us, farmers),” said Gil Villanueva, president of the Guimba-Victoria Irrigators Association.
Antonio Lopez Sr., chairman of the Valle PMPC, said the warehouse and recirculating dryer is an answer to their problem especially during the rainy season.
“Kami ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa DA at kay Governor Umali dahil kami po ay nabigyan ng warehouse where we will stock the palay ng aming mga miyembro matapos anihin (We are thankful to the DA and to Governor Umali because we were given a warehouse where we will stock the palay of our members after harvesting),” Lopez said.
Due to lack of drying facilities, the farmers were compelled to sell their palay to as low as PHP12 per kilo to local traders, making it hard for them to recover their expenses.
To date, the National Food Authority (NFA) is buying clean and dry palay with 14 percent moisture at PHP19 per kilo. (PNA)
