P120-M grant from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will start building its Rice Processing Complex in Bohol.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap and Choi Joong Kyung, South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines lead the ground breaking ceremony in the complex of Pilar, Bohol.
The said complex will house harvesters, mechanical dryers, rice mills that will provide drying, storage, and milling services to palay farmers.
Farmers who will utilize the rice processing complex are expected to have additional income of P16,200 per year, the Agriculture department said. The added income is expected to come from a reduction in post-harvest losses. Lack of postharvest equipment has been blamed for production losses that can reach 5% of total output, or about 889,000 metric tons yearly, data from the Agriculture department show.
Aside from the complex started in Bohol, more rice processing complex are to be built in the country in the next two years as approved by KOICA. [via bworldonline.com]