With the P282-million investment of DA, the government of Korea and the provincial government of Pangasinan, the new Rice Processing Complex in Sta Barbara, Pangasinan is expected to benefit more than 200,000 rice farmers in the province.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar recently turned over P219 million worth of agricultural intervention to Pangasinan farmers during his recent visit in the province.
During the same visit, he signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Pangasinan Governor Amado I. Espino III to revive the operation of the Rice Processing Complex (RPC) in Sta. Barbara municipality.
In a statement, DA said the projects included a P176 million worth of irrigation and postharvest facilities which include small water impounding project, diversion dams, warehouse and multi-purpose drying pavement awarded to 14 farmers' associations in Balungao, Pangasinan.
Dar also led the inauguration of the Crops Research and Development Center and the Garlic Tissue Culture Laboratory for the DA’s Pangasinan Research and Experiment Center (DA-PREC) in Sta. Barbara that aims to improve the capacity of DA in Ilocos to provide farmers better production technologies through research.
In his message, Governor Espino affirmed Pangasinan’s allocation of P500 million for the purchase of palay produced by farmers and shall establish one rice facility in Mabini and San Quintin for both Western and Eastern parts of Pangasinan to sustain operation of the RPC.
According to the governor, a team was already organized to discuss the procurement process leading to the full operation of the RPC.
With the P282-million investment of DA, the government of Korea and the provincial government of Pangasinan, the RPC is expected to benefit more than 200,000 rice farmers in the province, according to the agency. (SC)
Tags: #DepartmentOfAgriculture, #Pangasinan, #agriculture, #RiceProcessingComplex