By ALEX GALANG

CASTILLEJOS, Zambales — Farmers in this town won’t have to worry anymore about milling and drying their rice harvest with the inauguration here on September 5 of a new rice processing system (RPS-I) facility from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech).

The facility was secured by the Castillejos local government under a memorandum of agreement signed on August 19 with PHilMech as part of the agency’s Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.

Philmech said the rice mill is designed to reduce postharvest losses and add value to the income of farmers by enabling them to produce dried palay or processed rice which can be sold at a higher price. The RPS-I facility has two units of recirculating dryer, with 6 tons/batch capacity, and one unit of multi-pass rice mill with 1.5 tons/hour capacity, amounting to P18.7 million.

Castillejos Mayor Jeffrey Khonghun led the inauguration of the facility, along with Zambales First District Representative Jay Khonghun and Philmech Interim Director for Operations, and Program Management Office Joel V. Dator.

Cong. Khonghun is a social media post said the new rice will not only make it easy for farmers to process their harvest, but will also improve the quality of their products.

“With every machinery we put up for our farmers, we reiterate the government’s promise not to let them down,” Khonghun said.

Before its acquisition of the RPS-I facility, the municipality of Castillejos has already received P42.61 million worth of agricultural machines and equipment, Philmech said. 