The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to complete the distribution of 380 mechanical drying systems across the country in time for the 2027 wet season harvest — the largest deployment of such facilities in the nation’s history.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. confirmed that 230 units are being installed and should start operating by the end of this year, while the remaining 150 will be completed next year, with the full network ready by September 2027. Philippine Center for Post-harvest Development and Mechanization assistant director Joel Dator noted procurement for the first batch is complete; installation now depends mostly on finishing housing sheds, though two units are already running in Nueva Ecija.
The project will add 1 million metric tons of palay drying capacity per cropping cycle, shielding freshly harvested grain from rain, moisture and spoilage — longstanding causes of losses and poor quality. Officials say this supports the goal of rice self-sufficiency by improving grain handling rather than just boosting production volume.
DA Undersecretary Christopher Morales explained that properly dried palay fetches higher prices, lifting effective output and earnings. The new capacity is projected to bring an extra P3 billion in net income per cropping season, or roughly P6 billion annually. Per hectare, farmers could gain around P12,600 per season and P25,200 a year, based on average yields and the price premium for well-dried grain.
