DA hikes buying price of yellow corn

CEBU - The Department of Agriculture recently approved the P3 hike in the government’s buying price of yellow corn from P8.50 per kilo to P11.50.

A further increase of P1.50 in the support price is also being studied by the DA officials to level it with the price of white corn at P13 per kilo.

This after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo earlier directed the National Food Authority to increase the support price per kilo of white corn to P13 from P8.50 and the price of yellow corn to P8.50 from P7.

Arroyo also ordered the NFA to increase its support price for palay to P17 per kilo from the previous support price of P12.

The P1.50 increase proposal for yellow corn will be endorsed during the next meeting of the NFA council, agriculture officials said.

In a DA press statement, Masaganang Ani Corn Program national coordinator and DA Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo said farmers need to increase their production of corn because grain is the main component of animal feeds in the livestock sector.

The livestock industry is still on its recovery phase following a slowdown during the second semester.

“We are endorsing the proposal to further increase the yellow corn support price in response to the clamor or corn growers, many of whom have shifted to other crops for higher profits. If we are to help the livestock sector recover, we must also help the corn sector,” Araullo said.

The Arroyo administration is committed to improve the country’s self-sufficiency in food.

Through the DA, it pumped greater investments into various farm sub-sectors to create more jobs and livelihood opportunities in the countryside.

Corn yields have increased by 19.62 percent to 3.3 million metric tons from 2.75 million metric tons last year. Palay production, on the other hand, went up to 7.12 million tons from 6.727 million metric tons, a 5.84 percent increase.

The government is optimistic that it can attain around 7.2 million metric tons of corn production this year. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM (THE FREEMAN)