The provincial agriculture office is bullish about the growth of corn production in the province, citing it as an important requisite for supporting and developing the livestock industry that is dependent on corn for livestock feed.
Dr. Romeo Cabungcal, the provincial agriculturist, told Palawan News that the current corn production, specifically in Narra and the local pricing, bodes well for local production.
“Maganda ang production ng corn natin ngayon. Maganda ang prospect ng corn sa atin and I think maganda din ang presyo ng corn ngayon,” Cabungcal said.
Cabungcal pointed out that corn is one of the main ingredients for the manufacture of feeds needed by the livestock industry, especially poultry.
“Kung gusto mo kasing pataasin ang isang industry [which is the livestock production] ay ito ay patataasin mo rin [ang corn production],” he said.
Cabungcal said that local corn produce directly cater to the local market for poultry feeds products and is not yet exported outside the province .
“Local ang market natin sa corn. Ang iba ay lumalabas din naman pero hindi natin masasabi na nage-export tayo kasi mayron dito na namimili at nagpo-process ng corn para gawing feeds at mayron din tayong local consumption,” he said.
He noted the 150-hectares corn field in Barangay Aramaywan in Narra town as the largest corn plantation in the province.
“Mataas ngayon ang production ng corn. Nandoon kami nakaraan sa Aramaywan sa Narra noong field day. Mayroon doon 150 hectares na corn field, magaganda. Lahat talaga ng dadaanan mo ay puro corn. So far, ito ngayon ang malaking area natin sa buong Palawan,” he said.
The National Corn Program (NCP) has reported that it is halfway to achieving its 8.219 million metric tons target production this year.
Department of Agriculture (DA) NCP director Lorenzo Caranguian said in a virtual presser that NCP’s objectives is to attain a 95 percent sufficiency level in yellow corn and 85 percent sufficiency level in white in 2021.
In 2019, the Philippines’ top five producing regions contributed 79.66 percent of total yellow corn production and 73.49 percent of total white corn production.
About Post Author
