ILOILO – Millions of kilos of rice are being lost in Western Visayas every harvest season because of outdated farming and post-harvest methods, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 revealed.
Officials estimate that at least 5 percent of total palay (un-husked rice) production in the region goes to waste — losses that could have been avoided with modernized facilities and mechanization.
“Actually ang amon estimate of the wastage sa production in palay is 5% in Western Visayas. For example may ara kita 10 metric tons, 5% of that will go to waste. Ang rason is handling and post-harvest product nga ginagamit nila (farmers). Kay iban indi pa mechanized, gagamit pa sila solar drying, threshing, so mas damo ang waste sina,” said Maria Teresa Solis, officer-in-charge regional technical director for operations of DA-6.
Solis explained that solar drying, manual threshing, and other traditional post-harvest practices still widely used in the region result in higher wastage compared to mechanized operations.
“Manual work, yes, but if we have enough modern facilities, wastage in harvested palay will be lessened,” she stressed.
Lagging behind other countries
The DA admitted that while mechanization efforts are ongoing, local farmers remain far behind their counterparts abroad.
“Layo pagid kita (Philippines). Ang aton mga farmers more on manual pa. Comparing to other countries, 20 years way back pa siguro kita. I went to Korea kag nakita ko layo gid,” Solis said.
Solutions on the table
To curb production losses, DA-6 is pushing for wider distribution of modern harvesters, rice mills, and drying facilities, as well as promoting organic agriculture programs that recycle damaged fruits and vegetables into fertilizer.
“For example kon may mga food wastage or mga na-damage nga mga fruits or vegetables, pwede man na magamit nga raw material for organic fertilizer,” Solis noted.
Beyond equipment, the agency is also working with local government units, Department of Labor and Employment, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to train farmers and retailers in extending the shelf life of crops such as pineapples and vegetables through proper processing.
Bigger problem at the household level
While DA-6 monitors rice production losses, Solis admitted that food wastage at households, restaurants, and hotels is far greater but remains largely unmeasured.
“Sa akon lang ha, ang pinakadako nga wastage ara gid sa households and restaurants. Kon indi maubos, ihaboy malang ka restaurant owner. Isa pa gid, may traditional swine raising, ginagamit ya kitchen waste as food for livestock animals so it won’t go to waste,” she said.
Solis urged households to adopt discipline in meal preparation and storage.
“Let’s be wise in managing our household food. Luto lang kamo kon ano lang maubos niyo. And then, for example may bilin, ibutang niyo sa refrigerator. Pwede pa na kan-on the next day or next meal. Let’s be mindful…kon pwede lang wala food wastage.”
The DA stressed that reducing wastage is not just about efficiency in production but also about strengthening food security in the region, especially as food prices continue to climb./PN
