News Details

Antique to build cold storage, rice processing plants to boost farmers’ and fisherfolk’s income

NPO

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October 8, 2025

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The provincial government of Antique is planning to put up two cold storage facilities and two rice processing plants in strategic areas to help farmers and fisherfolk preserve their produce, reduce post-harvest losses, and earn higher incomes.

Provincial Planning and Development Officer Bienvenido Nallos Jr. said in an interview Wednesday that the proposed facilities aim to address the lack of proper storage and processing infrastructure in the province.

“As of now, many fisherfolk are unable to preserve their catch due to the limited number of ice plants. There are only two private ice plants in San Jose de Buenavista, forcing others to buy ice blocks from Iloilo City just to prevent their fish from spoiling,” Nallos said.

To address this gap, the province plans to establish cold storage facilities at the San Jose de Buenavista Fish Port in the south and in the coastal municipality of Tibiao in the north.

Meanwhile, Antique Governor Paolo Everardo Javier has directed Nallos’ office to prepare a feasibility study on setting up rice processing facilities that would allow farmers to avail of drying and milling services at affordable rates through the provincial government’s economic enterprise.

“The proposed rice processing plants will complement the National Food Authority’s efforts to help farmers, especially during peak harvest seasons,” Nallos explained.

He said that farmers often struggle with low farmgate prices — between PHP10 and PHP14 per kilogram — offered by middlemen during the wet season harvest, typically in September.

The provincial government plans to utilize its own property as the site for the rice processing plants and is exploring funding assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA). Should external funding not be available, the province may use its share from the national wealth to finance the projects.

“We expect to complete the feasibility study within the next three weeks, which will determine the total project cost,” Nallos said.

He expressed optimism that the initiatives would further strengthen Antique’s growing agriculture sector, which already recorded a 16.4 percent growth in agriculture, forestry, and fishing in 2024.

“These interventions will help our farmers and fisherfolk maximize their production, improve product quality, and enhance market competitiveness,” he added.

NPO News Team | PNA-PR