Farmers are now earning more from their harvests as government-backed rice processing hubs allow them to mill and sell rice directly, cutting reliance on third-party traders and improving margins.

According to the Department of Agriculture, its mechanization drive, led by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), has rolled out 151 Rice Processing Systems (RPS) nationwide, with most already operational under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund program.

PHilMech director Dionisio Alvinida said the facilities are changing how farmer cooperatives do business by enabling them to process palay into rice and sell it across markets, rather than disposing of raw harvest at lower farmgate prices.

“With the complete mechanization interventions we have provided under RCEF — from land preparation to milling and storing our palay — around 1.2 million rice farmers across the country have already experienced its benefits,” said Alvinida.

In Nueva Ecija, the country’s top rice-producing province, cooperatives said the program has helped stabilize incomes and reduce production risks.

“The President’s program for farmers across the Philippines is very good. It truly helps ease problems such as farm expenses, since many of these are provided for free. We experienced significant improvements when we received the RPS,” said Nora Angeles of Bantug Agricultural Multi-purpose Cooperative.

“We can buy palay at higher prices so our members earn more, then process it into rice and sell it across different parts of the country. That is how the RPS works. It has really been beneficial for us, and we are grateful that the government provided it,” she added.