ILIGAN CITY (PIA) -- To improve the local production of yellow and white corn to meet market demand, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10) turned over P535,500 worth of corn inputs and facility to the farmers here funded under the corn program.
DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations Carlota S. Madriaga, together with Provincial Operations Center Chief for Lanao del Norte, Abdulharis P. Paporo, handed over said agri-interventions to City Mayor Frederick W. Siao during the city government’s flag-raising ceremony hosted by its agriculture’s office on March 4.
The roster of agri-assistance includes 35 bags of hybrid white corn (8888) seeds (P3.5K at 9 kilos) and 100 bags of urea fertilizer (P1.4K per bag at 50 kilos), which are intended for 20 farmers in Barangay Ditucalan.
A mechanical corn sheller unit was also provided to the 35-member Gawgawon Farmers’ Association of Barangay Mainit, with an estimated corn cultivation of 50 hectares.
With said provisions, DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado is optimistic that it will help enhance the region’s corn production by increasing the grain yield per hectare of yellow and white corn and closing the gap between the supply and requirements of different corn processors, given the increasing demand for corn for food and other industrial uses.
Likewise, he underscored the need for farmers to be part of an active corn cluster organization and have its members be enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture to be eligible to receive such support.
As development partners of the agri department, the city government complemented DA’s Organic Agriculture program, as it also launched the "Basura ni Juan: Tabang sa Kaumahan Project" as a means to address the solid waste disposal challenges and promote organic farming practices in the locality.
On the same occasion, Philippine Crop Insurance, Corp. also turned over an indemnity check worth around P120K to 40 city farmers whose farms were stricken by pests and calamities. (DA-10/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
