January 7, 2008

Budget ups Philippine Q3 corn output in 2007

The Philippine government budget of P732 million (US$17.8) to propel the corn sector ensured a 9.5-percent increase in the third quarter of last year.

The corn output in the third quarter reached 5.29 million tonnes, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA), secretary Arthur Yap.

The DA said that the amount represents 89.38 percent of the total fund allotment of P819.111 (US$19.9 million) for 2007 for the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Corn programme, in efforts to ensure corn proficiency and augment incomes of corn producers.

Yap pointed that the DA implemented the Corn Production Enhancement Project to produce an additional 385,000 mt corn during the lean months and regular cropping season, and consequently provide added incomes for farmers, equivalent to at least P18,000 (US$439) per hectare.

Meanwhile, around 1,500 corn producers from the different regions in the Philippines will converge on January 9-11, 2008 for the National Corn Congress with Yap gracing the affair.