Two onion cold storage facilities worth over P42 million each were officially turned over in Nueva Ecija to help onion farmers preserve their harvests and improve income.
On 10 June, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Central Luzon, through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), inaugurated a 20,000-bag capacity cold storage facility in Barangay Tagumpay, Gabaldon. Valued at P42,799,780, the facility was donated to the Dupinga Sierra Madre Irrigators Association.
DA Regional Technical Director Arthur D. Dayrit, Gabaldon Mayor Jobby Emata, Vice Mayor Victorino Sabino, and other DA officials joined 230 local onion farmers at the turnover ceremony. Dayrit encouraged the beneficiaries to maintain the facility, expressing hope that it would significantly boost their earnings.
A facility walkthrough was followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and deed of donation among DA Regional Field Office 3, LGU Gabaldon, and the beneficiary association.
Earlier, on June 5, a similar P42.8-million facility was turned over to the Valiant Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Valiant MPC) in Barangay Marcos Village, Palayan City. The donation includes the cold storage facility, 100 pallets, and 1,000 plastic crates. The Valiant MPC is composed of 121 farmer-members cultivating 171 hectares of farmland.
Nueva Ecija remains the country’s top onion-producing province, accounting for 54.67 percent — or 138,028.18 metric tons — of national onion production in 2023.