January 3, 2012
 

Typhoons to slash 2011 Philippine corn output

Corn production in the Philippines is expected to be a little below the target of 7.26 million tonnes due to severe typhoons which hit the country last year.

According to Edilberto M. de Luna, assistant secretary for field operations of the Department of Agriculture, the country's corn production may dwindle from 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes due to accumulated losses from the devastating storms. He added though that the DA had yet to complete all corn production reports for 2011.

Philippine Maize Federation, Inc. president Roger V. Navarro said the group also does not expect corn output to reach the 2011 goal citing the dry spell that hit major corn producer Region II in the middle of 2011 that delayed planting and reduced harvest. He assessed that corn production may have reached 6.9 million tonnes to 7 million tonne last year.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said earlier it forecasts total corn production for 2011 to reach 6.99 million tonnes, up by 9.6% from the 6.38 million tonnes produced in 2010.

It cited that gains achieved in the first half of the year were likely to be offset by lower production in the second half due to adverse effects of typhoons.

De Luna said that full-year corn production figures will be released with data on the country's farm output this month.

As of end-September, corn production reached 5.489 million tonnes, 16% higher than in the same period a year ago.

Asked for an outlook for 2012, de Luna said the department is still sticking to its 7.846-million-tonnes target.

Navarro, on the other hand, said that while the government's 2012 goal is quite ambitious, it is also important to encourage farmers to plant more. He also urged the government to put necessary investment for postharvest facilities to achieve the 2012 target.

He added that the private sector must be encouraged to invest in post-harvest facilities in order to reduce losses and increase production.