March 21, 2007

 

Most corn farmers in Philippines' Mindanao region still impoverished
 

 

Despite being the country's top corn producer, 61 percent corn farmers in the Philippine region of Mindanao have remained below poverty line despite cultivating the crop for the last two decades, according to a study.

 

The study, conducted by the Corn Capital Cooperative, covered 468 corn farmers from Mindanao's six regions and 290 respondents claimed to have no economic grains despite planting corn within twenty years, said Jesus B. Pring Jr., cooperative chairman.

 

The results of the study were presented to the recently concluded 1st Mindanao Corn Farmers' Congress in Banga, South Cotabato, which claims to be the "Corn Capital of the Philippines."

 

He noted that the average income of majority of the respondents remained low at P9,265.70 (US$198.14) per hectare per cropping season.

 

The government's policy of allowing the importation of corn was also cited as one reason for the unchanged conditions of corn farmers in the island.

 

By mid-year, 200,000 metric tonnes of imported corn is expected to arrive in the country, with another 200,000 metric tonnes on "standby" to come not later than 2007.

 

Corn can be planted thrice a year as one cropping cycle lasts only between three and four months.

 

Local farmer leader Hernani Pedregoza doubted that corn would readily strengthen the plight of farmers as most of them in South Cotabato have shifted to cassava production due to higher production expenses.

 

He noted that buying price of corn is unstable and is still very low.

 

Pring said other factors such as lack of farm-to-market oads or the poor conditions of existing ones delaying the transport of their crop to trading centres in urban areas have also hampered the corn sector to prosper.

 

Such impediments have prompted untoward incidents such as a report that a corn farmer in North Cotabato committed suicide for failing to bring his produce on time because the waters in a river swelled. His yield was rejected by a trader because of moulds.

 

Pring also pointed out that corn farmers are not getting the best seeds from the government's procurement and distribution program and the monitoring of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani corn program on municipalities or small communities.

 

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, on the other hand, claimed the government is addressing the low buying price of corn in the commercial market by establishing trading centres and post harvest facilities.

 

There are presently two trading centres in Southwestern Mindanao, in Kabacan North Cotabato and in Banga town, run by the state-owned National Agribusiness Corporation.

 

Mindanao's total corn output of 3.42 million metric tonnes contributes 56 percent to the country's total harvest of 6.08 million metric tonnes in 2006.

 

On another development, the country has set a tender for April 11 to buy up to 200,000 tonnes of yellow corn for June/July arrival, officials of the National Food Authority said on Tuesday.

 

The specific origin of the corn was not set but officials said the grain's quality should be equivalent to US grade number 2 or 3.

 

The volume is part of the 400,000 tonnes of corn that the country plans to buy overseas this year to fill up a projected shortfall in local production for animal feed.