TAYABAS CITY—Corn production is expected to accelerate in Quezon province with the inauguration on Friday of a corn post-harvest facility and warehouse in Barangay Calumpang in this city.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala and Ariel Mañalac of Isa Akong Magsasaka Foundation and other agriculture officials and stakeholders are optimistic that corn production in Quezon will pick up with the inauguration of the P4.8-million facility that includes corn dryer, corn sheller, hammer mill, cassava chipper and granulator awarded by the agriculture department to the foundation as part of the AgriPinoy Corn Program of the Aquino administration.
Vilma Dimaculangan, agriculture regional executive director for Calabarzon, said the corn sufficiency level in Region 4A is only about 3 percent and 97 percent is derived from Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Alcala said in 2010 the country had to import corn worth P28 billion from other countries but expects to be self-sufficient before the year ends.
He pointed out that only 1.8 metric tons of corn is produced for every hectare, but with the establishment of post-harvest facilities this has risen to six metric tons to 10 MT.
John Bello / Correspondent