Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3958

HOUSE BILL Ni

Introduced by Representative Wilbert T. Lee

AN ACT
PROVIDING POST-HARVEST FACILITIES TO RICE FARMERS,

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIII, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution provides that “{t]he State shall
recognize the right of farmers, farmworkers, and landowners, as well as cooperatives, and other
independent farmers’ organizations to participate in the planning, organization, and
management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate
technology and research, and adequate financial, production, marketing, and other support
services.”

The problem on post-harvest loss is an undeniable threat to food security, loss in farmer
incomes, and inefficiency in the global food system. Itis estimated that a third of food produced
worldwide is lost or wasted.’ The need to institute interventions to increase farm-level
productivity has been one of the priorities and thrust of this representation and the sector we
humbly represent in Congress. During our consultation among farmers and agricultural
workers, one of the solutions we garnered is to close the domestic supply-and-demand gap and
increase rice productivity and income of farmers through the government’s assistance of
providing them post-harvest facilities,

Republic Act 8435, also known as the Agricultural & Fisheries Modernization Act
(AFMA), defines postharvest activities as those involving threshing, drying, milling, grading,
storage and handling of produce, and other activities such as stripping, winnowing, chipping
and washing. Postharvest facilities for conducting these activities include, but are not limited
to, drying and milling facilities, fish ports and landings, ice plants and refrigerated storage
facilities, processing plants, warehouses, buying stations, and market infrastructure and
transportation.?

A study revealed that agricultural production and postharvest industry is fragmented
and small-scale in nature with numerous producers, as well as multiple layers for marketing
and distribution between growers and buyers. This results in inefficiencies in the supply chain

* Bekele D (2021) Role of Postharvest Management for Food Security: A Review. ACST 9: 475. DOL
10.4172/2329-8863. 1000475

? National Agricultural & Fisheries Council. 2004. Agricultural Fisheries & Modernization Act. Retrieved last
18 August 2022 from hitp://nafc.da.gov.ph/afma/ra8435-1. PHP.


which increases costs, causes losses both in terms of quantity and quality, and leads to higher
prices of products. The large losses from farm to plate are attributed to poor handling,
distribution, storage, and purchase/consumption behavior involving huge resources that could
otherwise be spent on more productive activities go into producing and transporting goods that
are wasted?

With the vision to employ state-of-the-art equipment and well-trained personnel, post-
harvest facilities rice especially in regions heavily producing rice should be able to produce
properly dried paddy and consequently good-quality milled rice. The presence of these
facilitates should also provide a safety net for farmers during periods of oversupply, when
drying facilities are overutilized and private traders are not willing to accept wet paddy and/or
offer very low buying prices.

A Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study also reveal the importance
of Flatbed Dryers and Threshers. Flatbed dryers are said to be crucial and essential, especially
during the rainy season. This is mainly due to weather which prevents them from using sun
drying. This is particularly so for farmers who are unable to avail of RPCs services due to the
smallness in the volume of their harvested paddy. Threshers, on the other hand, are reported to
be critical in meeting farmers’ urgent need to immediately turn harvest into cash for household
and loan repayment needs. The DA provided an additional unit of threshers enabling them to
thresh their paddy immediately

Hence, to further improve lowering post-harvest production losses, this bill proposes
the government to construct and provide post-harvest facilities like warehouses, rice mills, and
transport facilities, including crucial equipment such as Flatbed Dryers and Threshers. We also
include one of the PIDS’ recommendation that consultation among beneficiaries and project
stakeholders is vital as early as possible for greater understanding, appreciation and consequent
“buy in” and even project ownership in the process

In view of the foregoing, the expeditious consideration and approval of this measure is
earnestly sought.

HON. WILBERT T. LEE
Representative
IGRI PARTYLIST

> Manalili, N... Dorado M., Van OTERIDUK, R. 2014. Investing in Appropriate Packaging Technologies in
Developing Countries. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3958

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Representative Wilbert T. Lee

PROVIDING POST-HARVEST FACILITIES TO RICE FARMERS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Post-Harvest Facilities
Support Act of 2022”,

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the State to promote agricultural and
rural development. Specifically, the State aims to raise farm productivity and income to a level
high enough to allow farmers to afford their material needs and achieve quality of life. It is
also the policy of the State to encourage and strengthen non-government organizations, such
as farmer organizations, cooperatives, and enterprises.

SEC. 3. Post-harvest Facilities. - The Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH), in consultation with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of
Agrarian Reform (DAR), and farmer cooperatives shall construct warehouses and rice mills in
every rice producing municipality and city in the Philippines: Provided, That in the initial phase
of the program, every district with at least one rice-producing municipality shall be the
beneficiary of at least one warehouse and rice mill

Additionally, the Department of Trade and Industry, in consultation with the DA, the
DAR, and farmer cooperatives, shall provide the equipment and machinery required to operate
these warehouses and rice mills such as Flatbed Dryers and Threshers, as well as the necessary
transport facilities.

SEC. 4, Stakeholder Consultations. ~The aforementioned implementing agencies of
this act shall conduct beneficiaries and project stakeholders consultation from the planning to
evaluation stages of the post-harvest facility project. The formation of the local project’s
Technical Working Group (TWG) that shall lead the consultation, updating and evaluation of
the project is hereby created


SEC. 5. Partnership on Facility Enhancement. ~ Local farmer cooperatives and
enterprises are highly encourage to contribute additional equipment or other form of assistance
that can help further develop and enhance their local post-harvest facilities. Applicable
incentives schemes available on these donations shall be applied.

SEC. 6. Appropriation. The amount necessary for the effective implementation of this
Act shall be charged against the current appropriations for DA. Hereafter, such amount as may
be necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act: Provided, that funding support for agencies implementing the Program
shall be included in the necessary appropriations for this Act

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. Within thirty (30) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Interior and Local
Government, in consultation with appropriate government agencies and other stakeholders,
shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement this Act. The implementing,
rules and regulations shall include a template to guide the cities and municipalities in the
establishment of their own Agri-food Terminals and Trading Centers

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. If any provision of this Act, or parts thereof, is declared
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other portions

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, and
implementing rules and regulations inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,