DA allots P203.6M for new cornfields

The Department of Agriculture (DA) will spend P203.6 million to develop 75,000 hectares of new cornfields, mostly in Mindanao, under a ”crash program” to boost corn production by 270,000 metric tons (MT) this year.

In a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, assistant secretary Dennis Araullo of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Corn Program said the expansion would enable the country to meet the target yield of 4.1 million MT in the second semester this year.

“The planting season for this expansion areas covers the second and third quarters. Hence, we can expect to harvest an estimated yield of 270,000 MT for the last two quarters of the year,” Araullo said.

Most of the expansion areas are located in Mindanao accounting for 52 percent of the targeted 75,000 hectares of new corn lands or an equivalent of 39,000 hectares. 

New corn areas in Luzon will cover 26,700 hectares, equivalent to 35.6 percent of the target; and in the Visayas, 9,300 hectares, or 12.4 percent.

Just recently, the DA approved the government’s new buying price of P11.50 per kilo of yellow corn.

The DA is studying a further increase of P1.50 in the support price for yellow corn to make it the same as for white corn which is at P13 per kilo. If the DA decides to approve the increase, this will be endorsed in the next meeting of the NFA Council.

Araullo said corn farmers need to increase their production of corn as it is a main component of animal feeds.

The DA-GMA Corn program is optimistic that the revised 7.2 million MT corn production target will be attained this year. The revised target is two percent lower than the original target of 7.4 million MT.

The corn production target this year has been lowered following the damage wrought by typhoon “Frank” on corn lands in the Visayas and the negative impact of high fertilizer prices on farm production.

The DA is also promoting the use of organic and microbial fertilizers to enable corn farmers to slash fertilizer expenses by as much as 40 percent.

The DA is, likewise fast-tracking the construction of 45 additional post-harvest processing and trading centers nationwide.