NFA builds bigger rice buffer with new Iloilo hub

The National Food Authority (NFA) has opened a P355.4-million integrated grains facility in Iloilo, more than doubling the province's palay procurement capacity to strengthen rice buffer stock and expand support for local farmers.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday that the Dumangas facility houses a modern warehouse, a 10-ton-per-hour rice mill, and a 240-ton-per-day mechanical grain dryer, which allows the agency to buy, dry, mill, and store more palay while reducing post-harvest losses.

“This is an investment in food security as much as it is an investment in our farmers,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

“Modern post-harvest facilities allow the NFA to procure more palay, cut post-harvest losses, improve grain quality, and build stronger buffer stocks,” he said. “Every bag we save and every bag we procure strengthens the country’s ability to keep rice affordable and available, especially during supply disruptions,” he added.

The new facility will allow the NFA to procure an additional 3,600 bags of palay daily, or about 324,000 bags over two cropping seasons, more than doubling its average annual procurement of 281,728 bags in Dumangas over the past five years.

The facility is expected to benefit more than 1,000 additional farmers, on top of the 804 rice farmers and 41 farmers’ organizations already served by the Dumangas Grains Center, and will support rice-producing areas in Iloilo that collectively produce about 4.85 million bags of palay annually.

“This isn’t just a new warehouse—it is a productivity and food security investment,” Lacson said. “Modern equipment allows us to buy more palay, reduce waste, and move grain into our buffer stocks faster. Farmers gain a dependable buyer, while consumers benefit from a stronger and more reliable rice supply,” NFA Administrator Larry R. Lacson said.