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Robust corn industry dev’t roadmap to be crafted

September 5, 2021 Cory Martinez 431 views

TO address the challenges being faced by the corn sector, particularly on the rising demand for feeds, food and other industrial uses, a strategic and robust corn industry development roadmap is set to be crafted.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that the crafting of the roadmap will be done following consultations with the farmers and industry stakeholders.

“The corn sector, being a major input to the poultry and swine industries, should be given more importance and long-term view to ensure its sustained contribution to the meat value chain and, in general, to the Philippine food systems,” Dar explained.

Dar disclosed that the roadmap should particularly address the industry’s major challenges, like much-needed investments in mechanizing farm operations to raise productivity, and setting up of postharvest facilities to minimize wastage and reduce costs of storage and milling, including cost-efficient logistics and transport.

“Guided by the roadmap, our ‘OneDA Family’ through the national corn program will work doubly hard to increase the average yield per hectare, and attain cost-efficiencies in the corn-feed-meat value chain, making it more competitive,” Dar added.

DA Corn Program Director Milo delos Reyes, on the other hand, said that at present, the country’s national average yield of yellow corn is 4.18 metric tons (MT) per hectare (ha), but combined with white corn, the total average yield is reduced to merely 3.18 MT/ha.

Delos Reyes added that the average yield of hybrid corn is at least 8 MT/ha.

He said that the DA will focus on increasing the productivity of major corn-producing areas of the country, particularly regions 2, 10, and 12, and providing clustered farms postharvest facilities to improve the quality of stored grains and reduce wastage, and linking them directly to corn processors.

“All this is aimed at increasing farmers’ incomes, and enhancing their competitiveness by reducing the cost of corn as raw material for various uses,” delos Reyes said.

He further explained that one of the key features that will be considered in the new roadmap will be the need for the private sector like seed producers, feed millers, and commercial feed manufacturers to engage in more joint ventures or direct marketing linkages with organized corn farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs).

Delos Reyes also disclosed that the consultations with the private sector, corn farmers and processors, other industry stakeholders, and consumers is undertaken to craft an industry roadmap over the short-term (2021-2025), medium-term, (2025-2030), and long-term (2030-2040).

DA Assistant Secretary and PCAF Director Liza Battad, meanwhile, expressed optimism that the roadmap will be completed and approved on or before the end of September 202. PCAF is the consultative arm and multi-stakeholder engagement mechanism of the “OneDA Family.”

Also present during the consultations is the corn industry roadmap development team (RDT), composed of technical experts from the academe and industry players, including Philippine Maize Federation, Inc. (PhilMaize) that represents corn farmers’ groups.

A review of past government initiatives, including the current regulatory framework of the Philippine corn industry will be included as the basis for the revised roadmap.

Among other items under review are the needed government and private sector investments in post-harvest facilities, proposed higher DA budget to directly benefit corn farmers, and an improved value chain framework to highlight the contributions of other stakeholders that rely on corn as a major feed ingredient in the production of poultry, swine and aquaculture, and other products.

“The roadmap is therefore envisioned to be wholly owned by the industry, and responsive to the aspirations of corn farmers and industry stakeholders, who are dependent on this major commodity as source of livelihood, employment, and incomes,” Dar said.

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