Philippines : DA urges Visayan rice farmers to explore corn production
The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture urged Visayas rice farmers to grow corn after rice planting to boost supply. With only 47,000 hectares under corn in Western Visayas, the DA highlights low irrigation needs and summer suitability. The initiative, supported by PhilMaize, promotes modern technologies and targets Iloilo and surrounding areas.
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) urged rice farmers in the Visayas to explore corn production to beef up the country’s needed supply.
“We are looking into corn after rice planting,” said Milo delos Reyes, director of the DA-National Corn Program.
“It means, one crop is rice and the other crop is corn,” said Delos Reyes on the sidelines of the 18th National Corn Congress-Visayas Cluster here.
With the exception of Cebu, Delos Reyes said the Visayas is traditionally low in corn production.
The Sept. 23 to 25 congress seeks to encourage the 500 corn industry stakeholders from Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Negros Island Region to exert more effort in boosting corn production.
With only 47,000 hectares of corn plantation in Western Visayas, DA is pushing corn production in areas without adequate irrigation.
DA-6 Regional Director Dennis Arpia said this is recommended as the initial stages of corn production does not need a lot of water and could be favorable especially during the summer season.
The DA sees a big potential for Iloilo province to grow corn.
The Visayas cluster congress backed by Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (PhilMaize) also pushed for wider adoption of modern technologies in corn production.
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Source : Manila Bulletin
