In an attempt to ease the effect of the power crisis, the Department of Agriculture (DA) shares that the government is looking to build solar-powered cold storage facilities in Occidental Mindoro.
In a report by Manila Bulletin, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said that they would partner with the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to construct five more cold storage units in the area.
A state of calamity has been imposed on Occidental Mindoro due to daily power outages lasting 20 hours.
Laurel Jr. added that the strategy was to pull off a 1,400 metric tons capacity with the establishment of additional cold storage. This was on top of the two existing ones situated in Magsaysay and San Jose.
The Agricultural Secretary opined that investing in solar-powered cold storage facilities would help steady commodity prices and, at the same time, reduce climate risks like extreme heat affecting post-harvest facilities.
Aside from cold storage facilities, the secretary added that a more refined irrigation system, as well as the construction of dams in Magsaysay and San Jose, should be considered to further extend help in the province.
