The Renucci Template!
P1.5-B Rice Processing Complex
Model for Industrialized Farming
Alang-alang, Leyte - In the middle of a virtual nowhere in the vast farmlands of Leyte which were devastated by Typhoon Yolanda eight years ago, a French and Filipina couple built one of the most modern rice processing facilities in the whole of Asia.
The Chen-Yi Agriventures Rice Complex, estimated to cost about P1.5-B, is the contribution of couple Patrick and Rachel Renucci to the recovery of the areas devastated by the super typhoon.
The couple opened the facility in early 2019 with the help and advise of the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Rice Research Institute.
During the opening of the facility, President Rodrigo Duterte was so impressed that he publicly said he wanted similar processing faciities built in the different rice production areas of the country.
It was a pronouncement that boosted my spirit as Agriculture Secretary but unfortunately at that time, I had already submitted my courtesy resignation following my clash with the Economic Managers over Rice Tariffication.
Napakaganda ng concept ng Renucci couple who left everything they had in Paris to invest in Leyte just to be able to help.
May mga modern farming equipment sila which farmers could use, nagpa-utang ng binhi ng tatlong premium rice varieties and even fertilizer payable upon harvest.
Then the facility bought the farmers produce fresh, hindi na kailangan pa magbilad ng farmer which was stored in huge silos then milled and sold as premium rice.
In just over a year, the Renucci Rice was adjudged one of the best in the world, standing up to the already established Thai and Vietnamese rice.
I was also impressed by the concept that when I moved to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), I used this as the template in designing the Halal Rice Production Program of Taraka, Lanao del Sur.
The implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law, however, proved to be a challenge to their operations as the DA distributed free rice seeds of every known variety.
Ngayon, hirap ang facility kasi maski ano-anong variety na lang ang na-deliver sa processing complex.
Delikadong bumagsak ang facility na ito na ipinagawa dahil sa pagmamahal sa mga Pilipinong magsasaka kung hiindi maagapan na matulongan ng ating gobyerno.
Una, dapat makipag-ugnayan ang DA sa Chen-Yi Agriventures para mapili lang ang binhi na ibibigay sa mga magsasaka ng Alang-alang at mga karatig-bayan.
Pangalawa, dapat ma-alalayan ang facility dahil tulad ng ibang mga negosyo, tinamaan din ito ng epekto ng COVID 19.
I visited the Chen-Yi facility two weeks ago and I pledged my personal support to Patrick and Rachel.
Initially, I am setting up an arrangement between the rice farmers of Central Mindanao who plant RC-160, RC-506, 7-Tonner and outstanding hybrids para makapag-supply ng premium rice for Chen-Yi especially in the coming months of January, February and March when Leyte would not be having harvest.
This story is another proof that while the intention of the RTL maybe good and noble, the results did not turn out as expected.
While the Chen-Yi Agriventures is facing challenges right now, it has provided us a template of how to industrialize rice farming in the Philippines to improve the quality of our rice and make our farmers competitive.
This is the template which should be copied all over the country through the establishment of the Local Industries Development Corporation, a proposed government-owned corporation which would support local pioneering industries.
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17 окт 2024
