The National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor), a government-owned and controlled firm under the direct supervision of the Department of Agriculture, is set to open corn post harvest processing and trading center (PHPTC) in Sarangani this month.
Company president Allan Javellana said Nabcor, in tandem with local government units (LGUs), is also set to build PHPTCs in the provinces of Pangasinan, Bukidnon and Ifugao.
“In all of these projects, the corporation had already been able to identify joint venture partners, most of which are local multipurpose cooperatives,” said Javellana in a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.
Javellana said Nabcor will shoulder 75 percent of the cost constructing PHPTCs while the balance of 25 percent will be shouldered by joint venture partners in specific areas.
Nabcor is currently operating, in partnership with LGUs, PHPTCs in Barangay Osias in Kabacan, North Cotabato and in Barangay Reyes in Banga, South Cotabato.
Javellana said Nabcor’s program for the establishment of PHPTCs in the country’s corn-producing provinces is “intended to hone production of quality feed and food-grade corn through joint venture agreements with interested and qualified partners such as LGUs, cooperatives and industry representatives from the private sector in strategic priority areas all over the country.”
Under Nabcor’s management, PHPTCs are operated as one-stop venues for the provision of technical, institutional development and market-related infrastructure assistance for the continuous supply of quality corn to industry players.
The PHPTCs also serve as conduits through which corn farmers receive technical aid on good agricultural practices, as well as assistance on the processing and marketing of quality corn products. — Marianne Go