Comval farmer named Gawad Saka awardee

LAAK, Compostela Valley – Model farmer Arnulfo Lomo-os has been planting white corn for the last 25 years on his 22-hectare farm situated in the municipality of Laak, Comval (Compostela Valley) province.

Through hard work and application of the latest farming technologies available in the market, his white hybrid cornfield reaped more than just high yields, having been recently conferred with the prestigious National Gawad Saka Award for Outstanding Corn Farmer after attaining 6.5 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) in the wet season using Pioneer white hybrid corn in his farm.

The annual award, which is bestowed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), gives recognition to deserving farmers and fisher folk who have been highly productive in their respective category for the year. This includes a cash prize of P25,000 for their notable achievements.

Lomo-os said he depends more on white hybrid corn than open-pollinated or traditional varieties because of the significant yield advantage he gets from planting hybrid varieties. In addition, the 50-year old corn producer prefers white hybrids since it commands a higher price than yellow hybrid corn in his area. He has been a loyal user of Pioneer hybrid.

Lomo-os claimed that his confidence in the seed quality and yield performance of Pioneer varieties has not changed, but has even increased after receiving such recognition from the National Government. "I am truly grateful for the company and its personnel in their drive towards providing customer service through technical support and trainings in our province," he said.

"Pioneer ensures that its farming technology solutions in hybrid corn are fully utilized by our customers for their own benefit," said Pioneer national agronomy manager Tom Lugod. "Our sales and agronomy teams reach out to far-flung areas where crop management practices can be enhanced and we conduct orientations and training programs that are both useful and practical."

Compostela Valley province is Davao region’s top corn producer, wherein output has risen to an average of 5 metric tons per hectare per cropping, compared to a lowly 1.69 metric tons in the previous years. During a visit to the province early this year, Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. hailed the efforts of the local government in improving corn yields and urged them to continue making clear, measurable, and specific programs for agriculture.

Lugod lauded the national and local governments for their drive towards agriculture modernization by promoting those technologies that have proven beneficial to the Filipino farmer. "We consider it very fulfilling that farmers in this region are slowly adopting new farming technologies that make a great difference in their livehood," Lugod added.

Pioneer Hi-Bred has been operating in the Philippines for 27 years, developing hybrid seed corn for farmers in different parts of the country with unique traits that make corn plants better adapted to the soil, climate, and biological environment in specific regions. These hybrid corn strains are easier to grow and produce much higher yields than traditional corn varieties. Arnulfo Lomo-os has long been a beneficiary and is urging other farmers to utilize dependable agricultural technologies in their own livelihood.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. – a DuPont business – is the country’s leading producer and distributor of high-quality hybrid seed corn.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by solving problems and creating solutions that make people’s lives better, safer and easier. Operating in more than 70 countries, the company offers a wide range of products and services to markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.