Several rice farmers are projected to benefit from the Shared Service Facility of the Rice Packaging and Processing Center that will soon be operational in the province following to the approval by Vice Governor Rene Lopez Relampagos and the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Bohol on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.
A resolution was approved during the regular session giving authority to Gov. Arthur Yap to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Trade and Industry Region 7 for the implementation of the said project.
Under the project, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) will manage and receive from DTI the machineries and equipment that will be used for the rice packaging and processing by Boholano farmers and stationed in the Shared Service Facility.
The Shared Service Facility will be situated in Pilar town where the Rice Processing Complex is also located.
The machineries that will be turned over by DTI are Rice Color Sorter Machine including Corollary Equipment, Rice Packaging Machine with conveyor and sewing machine, Vacuum Sealing Machine, and Heat Sealing Machine, the SP report says.
The machineries cost a total of P1,608,000.00, according to the report from the SP.
The project looks forward to benefit twenty-two (22) Farmer’s Associations from 11 municipalities in the province. These associations will be selling at least 10% of their production or yield to the Rice Processing Complex (RPC) for further processing and packaging.
Accordingly, the Rice Processing Complex in Pilar is provided via a grant by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) during the time when Gov. Yap was the Secretary of Agriculture.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Larry Pamugas said the machineries will be given free by DTI under a usufructuary agreement for the enhancement of the province’s Advance Rice Technology (ART) 160 and 120 programs.
With the provision of the Rice Color Sorting and Rice Packaging Machines, the supply of high-quality premium rice in Bohol will be secured. This may also encourage more farmers to sell their products to the PGBh.
This project aims to generate more income to the farmers, as well as guarantee the supply of high-quality premium rice within the region.
As stipulated in the MOA, the PGBh will provide the necessary facilities to house the Shared Service Facility, equipment and other support facilities, as well as personnel to manage and operate the said facility, according to the report.
Vice Gov. Relampagos said the project will support the rice program of the Province of Bohol, the ART 160 ART 120. Instead of competing with the RPC in so far as the use of the facility, the PGBh with the assistance of DTI under the convergence program, will in effect complement and support the better implementation of the ART programs in Bohol.