DA pushes expansion of corn planting areas

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing for the expansion of corn cultivation areas to keep up with the growing feed requirement of the livestock sector.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that while the Philippines is already self- sufficient in corn, production targets would be reviewed to meet the rising feed demand from livestock raisers.

“We need to expand corn cultivation areas because the livestock sector is growing. We should be able to surpass our sufficiency by next year,” he said.

In the first nine months of the year, domestic corn production, rose to 5.92 million metric tons, up by 0.40 percent year-on-year on improved harvets in Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN and Western Visayas.

Production this year is expected to reach 8.2 million MT, up 10 percent from 7.408 million MT in 2012.

Full- year production results are expected to be announced within the first quarter of 2014.

Despite the good production, the government is hesitant to allow corn producers to export to keep domestic supply stable.

Corn growers, however, have been allowed to ship out silage to South Korea.

The agriculture department wants the corn sector to be fully compliant with international export standards before its allowed to export.

Alcala wants the local corn sector to be competitive in time for the economic integration of Southeast Asian economies by 2015 so it can get a piece of the export market dominated by the United States.

“We would like this to become the main crop for export after 2015. Because we have the capability and neighboring countries like Malaysia still get their corn from the US,” he said.

“If they are weak in production and we have the ability to produce all- year-round, this can be to our advantage. We just need to add more infrastucture and post harvest facilities,” he added.

Corn growers are urged to adopt best practices in post-harvest to improve quality.

Only 15 percent of the harvest is dried properly, the rest are dried along public roads.

Export grade corn must have a moisture content of only 14 percent and zero aflatoxin level, attainable though the use of modern drying technologies.

The programmed expansion of corn cultivation areas would be taken up when the department’s flagship Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) is reviewed next year.

The government is promoting the inter-cropping of corn with coconut trees to increase the incomes of coconut farmers and increase cultivation areas.