The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is crafting a corn industry development roadmap that will outline interventions for boosting corn production amid rising demand for animal feed.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the creation of a “strategic and robust” corn industry roadmap is necessary to provide long-term guidance for ensuring the sustained contribution of the corn sector to the meat value chain and the country’s food security.
“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,” he said in a statement.
The agriculture chief said the roadmap will contain solutions to address the industry’s major challenges, which include “much-needed investments” to hasten mechanization and establish postharvest facilities.
He added that these investments are aimed at raising the corn industry’s productivity and minimizing wastage as well as reducing the cost of storage and milling.
“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 said.
The DA said it will focus on increasing productivity of major corn-producing areas, particularly Regions 2, 10 and 12. Postharvest facilities will be given to clustered farms, which will be linked directly to corn processors.
The country’s average yellow corn yield is at 4.18 metric tons per hectare (MT/ha) but if combined with white corn production, the total average yield is reduced to 3.18 MT/ha, DA Corn Program Director Milo delos Reyes said. Delos Reyes added that the average yield of hybrid corn is at least 8 MT/ha.
“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,” he said.
Dar said the DA is already consulting corn industry stakeholders about the roadmap through its National Banner Program Committee on Poultry, Livestock and Corn, which is facilitated by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF).
“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),” delos Reyes said.
PCAF Executive Director Liza G. Battad said the government is targeting to complete and approve the roadmap before the end of the month.
“Also present during the consultations is the corn industry roadmap development team, composed of technical experts from the academe and industry players, including Philippine Maize Federation Inc. which represents corn farmers’ groups,” Battad said.
Delos Reyes said a review of past government initiatives, including the current regulatory framework of the Philippine corn industry will be included as the basis for the new roadmap.