Lack of post-harvest facilities costs RP P30 billion per year in rice losses

MANILA, Philippines - The country is losing some P30 billion worth of rice due to lack of post-harvest facilities such as palay dryers and rice mills, according to the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) which is attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

During the drying operation alone, 4.5 percent of palay harvest id lost due to inadequate or inefficient drying facilities. This is equivalent to a loss of 408,764 metric tons (MT) of milled rice.

“In our country’s effort to increase food production, it is important that we give utmost attention to the prevention of losses through the development of post-harvest research and technology,” said Ricardo L. Cachuela, BPRE executive director.

Cachuela said palay farmers will be saving billions of pesos every year if they use efficient drying facilities.

“Ang pagpapatuyo ng palay ay isa sa pinakamaselan na gawain matapos ang anihan. Ang porsyento ng nawawalang palay kung hindi wasto ang pagpapatuyo ay umaabot ng limang porsyento. Kung may inaaning 16.2 milyong metriko toneladang palay bawat taon, ang halaga ng nasasayang na palay ay mga P10-bilyon,” Cachuela said.

Arnel Ramir M. Apaga, director of the agency’s training and extension department, said BPRE is distributing this year 688 flat bed dryers to qualified irrigators’ associations and farmers organizations all over the country, in coordination with the DA-Regional Field Units.

The program, he said, is aimed at uplifting the well-being of the farmers by helping them reduce the drying losses in rice and, at the same time, to craft guidelines and action plans for the conduct of postharvest research.