US Agriseeds to expand corn breeding facility in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - California-based agrotechnology firm US Agriseeds intends to expand its operations in the Philippines by putting up a breeding facility for hybrid yellow corn seeds in Mindanao.

US Agriseeds operates in the country through its local arm SeedWorks.

Carlos Saplala, US Agriseeds general manager for Southeast Asia, said the prospective five to 10 hectares corn breeding facility in South Cotabato may be put up this year or next years.

 â€œSouth Cotabato is a good place to breed (hybrid corn seeds) because of high disease prevalence in the province,” Saplala said in an interview during the 1st Hybrid Rice Congress in Nueva Ecija.

Yellow corn is primarily used as a component of animal feeds.

SeedWorks Philippines, Inc. is a new player in the hybrid agriculture commodity business in the country.

It began commercial distribution of hybrid rice varieties in the country in 2008, two years after it began field tests.

It currently operates a breeding station for hybrid rice and vegetable seeds covering four to five hectares in Nueva Ecija. The company also runs satellite test stations of less than one hectare each for hybrid rice seeds in the provinces of Isabela, Los Banos and Davao.

The company also intends to put up additional rice test areas in Panay, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon and Misamis.

“We are fairly new in Southeast Asia but it presents a big opportunity for the company because rice is mainly produced in Asia. It is a good market if the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam are put together,” said Saplala.

SeedWorks Philippines currently markets hybrid rice varieties TH 82 which can withstand intermittent irrigation. This variety yields a maximum of 11 tons per hectare and is most suited for climatic conditions in Nueva Ecija.

“When this was launched in 2008, it enabled us to achieve a good market share because farmers can plant it all-year-round,” said Saplala.

Another variety sold by the company is US 88 which is exclusively sold in the Philippines. It  yields a maximum of 11 tons per hectare and is also most fit for cultivation in Nueva Ecija.

The company intends to introduce a third variety which yields an average of nine tons per hectare. Although this variety is lower yielding than those first introduced, it matures in a shorter period and has superior grain quality.

“This variety, which has no market code yet, is suited for three cropping cycles in a year,” said Saplala.

The company also breeds in its Nueva Ecija facility hybrid seeds for cucumber, eggplant, chili, tomato, squash, watermelon, cucumber, and sweet corn.

Its test areas for vegetables are located in Bukidnon, Nueva Ecija, Benguet, and Laguna.

It breeds vegetable seeds according to the produce preference of consumers. For instance, it breeds seeds for white cucumber for consumers in Nueva Ecija and light green variety for consumers in Mindanao.