The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has announced the signing of a technical assistance agreement for the setting up of a processing facility for the production of calamansi products.

DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute has inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Maryland Manufacturing from Valenzuela City and Campfarms Inc. from Pampanga “early this year.”

"The DOST-ITDI assistance includes the transfer of process technology for the production of the following calamansi products: Ready-to-Drink (RTD) juice, sweetened calamansi juice, and calamansi juice concentrate,” the DOST chief said during his weekly report on Friday, March 12.

He noted that the ITDI "will also extend technical assistance on putting up the processing facility that includes equipment selection and plant design.”

De la Peña said preliminary activities like virtual ocular inspection of plant sites were already conducted.

"Ongoing consultation meetings are being conducted between the companies and the ITDI team to determine the processing scale requirements and to finalize bases for plant design requirements,” he said.

"These projects hope to utilize the excess production of calamansi by providing marketable value-added products.”