Close to 500 farmers are expected to benefit from the planned PHP11.9-million multi-purpose warehouse with solar dryer in Barangay San Jose in Vintar, Ilocos Norte, aimed to reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ productivity.

Funded by the World Bank under the Philippine Rural Development Project with a counterpart share from the Department of Agriculture and the local government unit of Vintar, municipal agriculturist Maricel Serrano told the Philippine News Agency Thursday that bidding for the warehouse’s construction will be done this month.

“There is no exact date yet [regarding the period of construction] because the project has to undergo the procurement process first,” Serrano said.

Based on the project brief obtained from the DA Regional Field Office 1, the 128-square-meter warehouse and the 432-square-meter solar dryer will be managed by the Vintar government.

The project is expected to increase the length of viability of produce by at least 50 percent, and decrease post-harvest losses by 5 percent.

By having a structurally safe storage and dryer for rice, garlic, peanut, onion and corn during the harvest season, DA estimates that farmers will be able to increase their selling price of various commodities ranging from 17.42 percent to 127.27 percent.

“The warehouse will surely increase the income of farmers by affording more quality produce. With the solar dryer, farmers will no longer dry their produce along road shoulders of highways which accounts for post-harvest losses,” Vintar mayor Richard Degala said in a statement. (PNA)