P10-B NFA Modernization Underway to Boost Rice Storage and Processing

Manila, Philippines – The National Food Authority (NFA) has launched a ₱10-billion modernization project to enhance rice storage and processing facilities, ensuring better support for farmers and more efficient rice preservation.

Key Investments and Upgrades

🔹 ₱5 billion – Allocated for new rice mills, drying facilities, and infrastructure, allowing the NFA to purchase rice with moisture content above the current 14% requirement.
🔹 ₱1.5 billion – Dedicated to repairing existing warehouses to maintain palay and rice quality.
🔹 ₱3.5 billion – Set to increase storage capacity by 800,000 metric tons by 2026, nearly doubling the current capacity.

Strategic Developments

✅ Ongoing warehouse repairs – A facility in Malolos, Bulacan (capacity: 120,000 sacks) will begin receiving stocks in April.
✅ New warehouses planned – Land plots in Mindanao and Luzon will host modern facilities, including silos in major rice-producing regions (Regions 2 & 3), allowing storage for up to two years—far longer than the usual six months to a year.
✅ Completion target – All upgrades are expected to be operational by end-2026, in time for the 2027 summer harvest.

“This expanded capacity will help us address the issue of full warehouse space while improving rice storage efficiency,” said NFA Administrator Larry Lacson.