The Manila Times

FARMERS CLAMOR FOR MORE PALAY DRYERS

FREDERICK SILVERIO

CENTRAL Luzon farmers are requesting for more palay (unhusked rice) dryers from the government as the harvest period for the wet rice cropping season begins.

Simeon Sioson, a farmer leader in Central Luzon and chairman of a farmers cooperative based in San Miguel, Bulacan, said the region is known as the Rice Granary of the Philippines.

He explained to The Manila Times many farmers mostly rely on the mechanical palay dryers of the National Food Authority (NFA) for their newly harvested crops during the wet cropping season being frequented by rainy weather conditions.

Ramon Lazaro, a farmer from Bocaue, Bulacan, said rice crops these days were bending down due to rain and wind brought by the storm and needs to be dried immediately after harvest to avoid getting spoiled.

However, several drying facilities of the NFA are no longer operational, Sioson said.

He said most farmers’ cooperatives in the region prefer to use the drying facilities of the NFA since the cost is much cheaper compared to private commercial palay driers.

He pointed out rains dumped by typhoons “Jolina” and “Kiko” affected rice crops. Sioson noted long queues of newly harvested palay are common in mechanical drying facilities during harvest season even when it is raining compared to the solar dryers dependent on good weather conditions.

He said farmers are also clamoring for lawmakers to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL). The farmers pointed out before the RTL was passed, the NFA intervenes whenever rice prices start to rise during the lean months from July to September.

Sioson noted the grain agency has been selling P27 per kilo for regular milled rice and P32 per kilo for well-milled rice to consumers that are now not available to the public.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Yamzon, NFA regional director for Central Luzon, said three mechanical dryers are being built in Nueva Ecija, a major rice producing province in the region.

He noted the agency also has plans for more mechanical dryers before the year ends.

Farmers only have to pay for the operation cost of the NFA’s mechanical driers, Yamzon said.

Regions

en-ph

2021-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281728387651827

The Manila Times