SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) – Forty-three (43) Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) from Occidental Mindoro recently inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture (DA) – MIMAROPA for the implementation of the Corn Production Enhancement Project (CPEP) in the province.
Spearheaded by the DA MIMAROPA Corn Program, the MOA signings were held at the Municipal Agriculture Offices with representatives from each FCAs. The FCAs from seven (7) municipalities, namely: Magsaysay, San Jose, Rizal, Sta. Cruz, Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, and Sablayan will receive corn production inputs under the CPEP.
According to Ms. Aiza Ruth Evona Espeja, DA MIMAROPA Corn Program Staff, this new program aims to help increase corn farmers’ income by providing planting materials, reducing production costs. In addition, it also targets to increase the production of yellow corn in the province by utilizing new and idle lands.
Mr. Mark Silaw, representative of United as One Agricultural Cooperative, shared that the project will be beneficial for them as prices of planting materials in their area are high.
“Malaking tulong po [ang proyekto kasi] mahal ang inputs [dito] sa amin. Ang corn seeds ay pumapatak ng Php 11,000.00 kada hektarya, tapos ang pataba naman ay nasa Php 2,000.00 kada bag,” said Mr. Silaw.
(The project is a great help because the prices of agricultural inputs in our area are high. Corn seeds are around Php 11,000.00 per hectare, while prices of fertilizers averages to Php 2,000.00 per bag.)
He added that planting yellow corn is profitable because its farmgate price is higher, around Php 22.00 to 23.00 per kilo, compared to other commodities. This gives a potential earning of Php 80,000.00 per hectare (ha) of yellow corn. Yellow corn is consumed for food, but is primarily used for poultry and swine feeds.
An estimated 1,000 corn farmers cultivating around 8,536 ha of land will receive 18 kilograms (kg) of corn seeds and two bags of fertilizers, amounting to Php 21.85 million. The DA MIMAROPA aims to award the interventions on March 10, 2023 on the onset of the second cropping of corn in the province. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA)
