Postharvest technology boosts agri productivity
The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has stressed that mechanizing the value chain is the most efficient means to improve productivity and sustain agricultural growth.
As such, PhilMech also has the newest research and development projects, postharvest technologies, value-adding production systems and other innovations that can help enhance mechanization programs for its consumers.
Executive Director Engr. Rex Bingabing said, “As we shift focus towards a globally competitive agricultural industry, we need to address challenges such as climate change and food security through self-sufficiency. Agricultural mechanization can help enhance production yield, reduce postharvest losses and improve the volume of agricultural produce for consumers. The Department of Agriculture is continuously implementing its agricultural mechanization program to help our farmers’ commodities be competitive in terms of price and quality by modernizing their production, valueadding and processing.”
These technologies in agricultural mechanization will be showcased at the country’s largest and premier trade fair in agriculture, food and aquaculture—AGRILINK, FOODLINK and AQUALINK slated October 15 to 17 at World Trade Center, Manila. PhilMech is seeing continued adaptation of farm machineries due to the positive response from farmers. Record shows that the total rice combine harvesters in the country increased from 41 in 2011 to 1,806 units last year. PhilMech also has been conducting research, development and extension activities to develop technologies and production systems which can utilized by farmers and fisher folk, such as multi-commodity solar tunnel dryers for coffee and soybean. It has also developed a coconut water pasteurizer and chiller machine. One is currently set up in Pili, Naga City, which has the potential of increasing the income of copra farmers through production of processed cocowater.
To address the need for our local farmers to have increased access to these machineries, PhilMech has started to localize the technologies to increase their adaptation and make them more affordable for the farmers. Some of these include local mini rice combine harvester, mechanical rice transplanter, mechanical planters, compact mills and locally assembled sugarcane harvesters and fast dryers. Furthermore, it is also involved in the DA’s banner programs in rice, corn, high value crops and organic agriculture through the distribution of farm machineries and developing post-harvest facilities in major production areas such Cagayan Valley, SOCCSKSARGEN and Northern Mindanao, the top three major producers of corn. Bingabing noted that Cagayan Valley is among the highest in terms of adaptation of farm mechanization, with farms in Isabela the first to adopt combine harvesters and procuring about 500 units between 2012 and 2014. In line with this, PhilMech is promoting its corn technologies such as the pneumatic corn planter and compact corn mill. The corn planter minimizes the drudgery of farm labor and improves production efficiencies by planting uniformly at a desired seed depth, hill and row spacing. The fertilizer rate and depth could also be set to suit the soil requirement. Thus, more uniform plant population, better crop growth rate and improved yield could be easily achieved. The compact corn mill can produce high quality corn grits for food and cracked corn for feeds with higher milling recovery.
In addition, PhilMech will also demonstrate affordable and locally adapted machineries it had developed that can be used by farmer groups in establishing village-level processing centers which in turn can help farmers develop their own agribusinesses through value-adding. The triple exhibit, which is supported by the DA, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and 30 major Philippine agribusiness and food associations, will bring together local and international suppliers and exhibitors, that will improve the value chain, productivity and sustainability of the interconnected industries of food, agriculture and aquaculture. For details 8384491, 09175888799 or email frld.agrilink@gmail.com. Visitors can also pre-register their attendance through www.agrilink.org or its official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ agrilinkPH.