DA-7 eyes increase in corn production this year

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture is eyeing 15-percent increase in the corn production in Central Visayas this year.

DA-7 has set the target at 231,000 metric tons this year or 27,000 metric tons higher compared to the 204,000 metric tons production last year.

Francisco Supsup, regional corn coordinator, said the figure is achievable given the farmers’ support and implementaion of productivity enhancing measures.

The DA corn-program group noted that the current average yield of corn in the region is less than 1-metric ton per hectare. A total of 164,770 hectares of farmlands is planted with corn in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

 Based on the DA record 95-percent of the total area planted with corn is devoted to white corn which is used as staple food while the remaining five percent is being planted with yellow corn which is used for animal feeds.

Supsup said that shiftingfrom the traditional ‘tiniguib’ to hybrid variety can increaseproductivity. Demonstration farms on the use of hybridshave likewiseproventhe target to be viable.

Christopher Cadungog of Sierra Bullones Bohol shares that using IPB var 6, which was originally produced by Mexico-based Centro, allows him to harvest 370 sacks of corn from the usual harvest of 200 sacks.

Using OPV (open-pollinated corn variety) will provide only 47% return of investmentwhich is equal to P12,000 against using hybrid variety that will provide 85% return of investmentwhich is translated toat least P27,000 per hectare.

 Aside from helping the farmers gain more income, Cadungog said that plantinghybrid corn augments the sufficiency level of the said commodityto 55% for white cornor 10% higher than last year’s sufficiency level.

Leo Cañeda, DA-7 executive director, expressed optimism that the region is ona competitve footing with the rest of the countryespecially that research has shown that the region can indeed increase its productivity.

To ensure the region’s corn productivity, production technologies are now being widely adoptedin the muncipalities of Sierra Bullones, Valencia andSagbayan in Bohol.

 Each of these municipalities has acquired a village-type corn processing center equipped with sheller and dryer to optimize production.

The increasing annual demand for corn both for food and feed reaches 249,000 MT and 297,000 MT, respectively, making corn one of the top priority commodities in the region.

 In order to cater to the region’s demand, Cañeda said that a production increase is targetted from 177,000 MTto 298,000MT for white corn in 2016.

An exchange scheme for corn seed distribution has been introducedas one of the measures to increase the region’s production.

 Under the scheme, a farmer returns two bags ofcorn seeds for every four bags availed under the program.

Another strategy eyed to increase production is the utilization of idle lands for corn production. —(FREEMAN)