The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) said it has licensed three local firms to manufacture farm equipment as part of government efforts to help farmers produce more food.
PhilMech said the three local firms would be allowed to manufacture the multi-commodity solar tunnel dryer (MCSTD), manual coffee pulper (MCP) and the cassava digger (CD).
All three farm machines were developed by PhilMech, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“The local metal industry has the potential to manufacture quality farm machines and equipment if given the proper support,” PhilMech Director Baldwin Jallorina said.
“The vision is for the Philippines to manufacture most of its farm machinery requirements in five to six years,” Jallorina added.
PhilMech has licensed Taguig City-based NSB Engineering Design and Fabrication and Sohrab Garcia Photography and Enterprises, based in Sorsogon City, to manufacture MCSTD.
MCSTD is an enclosed dryer that dries commodities using the heat of the sun, according to PhilMech.
“It has the advantage of protecting the commodities from harmful exposure from the air. Among the commodities the MCSTD can dry are fish, tomatoes, fruits, among others,” PhilMech added.
The agency said it has also allowed South Cotabato-based Diordan Construction to manufacture the MCP and CD.
“The company, based in South Cotabato, fabricated the 6-megawatt biomass power plant of Biotech Farms, and was one of the contractors for the establishment of the 100-MW power plant of Sarangani Energy Corp.,” PhilMech said.
NSB Engineering has been in the metal fabrication industry for 17 years and manufactures jigs and fixtures for various industries and also supplies a number of components for an airline company, according to PhilMech.
The CD allows farmers to harvest cassava root crops at a rate of 1.8 to 3 hectares per day, according to PhilMech. The CD has the capability to depulp 40 kilograms to 50 kg of coffee beans per day, which is more than twice faster using the manual method, it added.