Batangas City: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced that the government is dedicating funds toward essential farm machinery and facilities to bolster the agriculture sector.

According to Philippines News Agency, during the inauguration of the Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC) Grains Terminal and Trading Project in Barangay Simlong, Batangas City, Marcos outlined his administration's strategy to enhance the efficiency of local agriculture by providing necessary equipment. 'Plano ng pamahalaan na maglaan ng pondo para sa mga dryer, silo warehouses, rice at cornmill at iba pang mga kagamitang pang agrikultura (The government plans to allocate funds to purchase and construct dryers, silo warehouses, rice and cornmills, and other agricultural machineries),' Marcos stated.

He emphasized that this financial allocation aims to reduce post-harvest losses, decrease food prices, and boost the productivity of local farmers. 'Dahil dito mababawasan ang mga nasasayang na bigas at mais, mapapababa natin ang presyo ng pagkain at mas magiging produktibo ang ating mga magsasaka (Because of this, we will be able to lower rice and corn wastage, bring down food prices, and make our farmers more productive),' he added.

The announcement is part of the administration's broader initiative to modernize the agriculture sector, improve food security, and ensure the economic sustainability of farmers. The newly inaugurated SIDC Grains Terminal and Trading Project will mainly focus on the storage, procurement, and trading of yellow corn, a key raw material for feed production.

The project follows SIDC's previous investment in a modern rice mill in 2021, which has a capacity of five tons per hour to process rice for its farming members.