Zanjera Mantapat Kunig received the completed Mabanbanag Solar Dryer from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte and the Municipal Government of Vintar under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) in an awarding ceremony on August 23, 2017.

The newly constructed Mabanbanag Solar Dryer has a total area of 420 square meters with a total cost of P1,100,528.90. It is among the 12 stand-alone infrastructures approved under the PRDP in the Ilocos Region.

There is an existing drying pavement in the barangay but it cannot accommodate all the products of the farmers. Said drying pavement is far from the production areas of the Zanjera and causes another hauling activity. These circumstances sometimes force the farmers to dry their products along the national highway or in vacant lots, reducing the quality of the grains.

With the construction of the Mabanbanag Solar Dryer, it is expected to reduce drying losses of  palay, corn, and other grain harvest of the farmers (i.e. peanut and mungbean), improve the quality of dried grains, and increase farmer’s income through competitive pricing of grain produce.

The Mabanbanag Solar Dryer is the second completed stand-alone infrastructure in the Ilocos Region and the second solar dryer under the PRDP to be awarded to Vintar farmers. The first one is the Salsalumagui Solar Dryer which was awarded to Zanjera Taguipuro Manayon on July 18, 2017. ### Dessa U. Estrada and Vida V. Cacal, RPCO 1 InfoACE Unit