CAR progress in yellow corn production

The Cordillera is now a region to reckon with when it comes to yellow corn production.

Instead of being just the 'Salad Bowl of the Philippines,' major hybrid and heirloom rice producer, it is now excelling in yellow corn production as evidenced by CAR farmers' yearly victories in the Gawad Saka Search and Outstanding Quality Corn Farmer Search conducted by the Department of Agriculture.

Among the winning farmers are Engr. Arsenio Madio and Rolando Bandi of Rizal, Kalinga; Joseph Benemerito, Jaime Calumpit and Renato Antonio of Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. They did not only gain wealth but also national recognition and distinction as successful corn farmers.

CAR farmers have mastered producing yellow corn for feeds purposes, and by doing so, their standard of living have been uplifted.

The Cordillera produced 156,518 metric tons of yellow corn in 2011. The highest corn producing province is Ifugao which contributed 84,285 metric tons, followed by Kalinga, with Benguet as the least producing province.

From the total agricultural land of 450,528.69 hectares in the region, 61,836 hectares are is devoted to corn production.

Major problems in corn production are high cost of inputs, high post production losses and low quality of produce due to inadequate post harvest facilities.
With these, the DA provides interventions that go with production support, post harvest development services, marketing support and development, extension, education, marketing support and development and information services.

This year, other than the OPV seed exchange program for white corn, all activities of the corn program are concentrated on yellow corn production.
According to Pansy Kary Piluden, the DA-RFU-CAR Regional Corn Coordinator, other lined up activities are marketing services to be provided by the Agribusiness and Marketing Division such as market linkaging activities serving 155 corn farmers and clustered group assistance.

For its Post Harvest Development Services, three units village type dryers will benefit 150 farmers and two units corn grits mill will be used by 100 farmers. Five units hammer mills and cassava ganulators with shredders will also be provided.

Ina bid to further educate farmers, a series of Farmers' Field Schools, entrepreneurial trainings and technical briefings will be conducted including post harvest technology promotion, extension and training, cassava techno demos and Corn Institutional Research and Development.

The yellow corn industry has a very big role in advancing the AgriPinoy framework towards agri-development in the country.Basically, it is very instrumental towards achieving self sufficiency in yellow corn for feeds purposes to sustain the growing demand of the livestock and poultry subsectors and to help stabilize prices of feeds in the local market.

The AgriPinoy framework is one with the farmers in developing targets from 2011 to 2016. It sets its targets to increase growth of corn production in term of its area expansion, yield improvement and key assumptions such as growth market price and favorable weather conditions.

This year's yellow corn production will be intensified with the inclusion of the organic agriculture methods; use of organic/biological control of pests and diseases such as production of earwigs, use of Bio-N, trichoderma and vermiculture methods.

In addition to organic based agriculture program, soil fertility and sampling and soil ameliorization and rehabilitation services will be enhanced.

The corn program will likewise continue to implement the Cassava program through seed pieces production benefiting 800 cassava farmers. - PIA — ARA