MANILA - The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) on Thursday inaugurated a rice processing facility and turned over several machineries worth a total PHP96 million that is expected to boost productivity and income of farmers in Quirino province. 'This support package to Quirino rice farmers, which features a state-of-the-art rice processing system, is part of the Department of Agriculture's determined push to improve post-harvest systems and infrastructures across the country to reduce production losses and ensure the country's food security,' DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a news release. The rice processing facility was awarded to Diffun Saranay and Development Cooperative, which has 2,320 farmer-members who manage a total 3,502 hectares of rice fields. According to the DA, the rice processing system has a multi-stage rice mill with a capacity of four to five tons per hour, or 48 tons per day, as well as three u nits of recirculating dryers with 36 tons total capacity, or 12 tons per batch. Another two units of recirculating dryers with a capacity of 6 tons per batch were also provided to the cooperative to further increase their drying capability. The support package to the cooperative is worth a total of PHP78.1 million. Meanwhile, other production machineries like tractors, harvester and threshers were also awarded to the 13 farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in the province. Source: Philippines News agency