June 4, 2010

Philippines spread use of GM corn seeds to cover losses

For the corn sector make up for production lost in the first three months of the year, the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is propagating the use of hybrid corn and genetically-modified varieties for planting.

Corn farmers have started planting for the wet cropping season, prompting the DA to say that the commodity's output of may still amount to 7.2 million tonnes this year.

The El Niño-induced dry spell damaged up to 500,000 of corn crops, dragging output in the first quarter down by 16.8% to 1.6 million tonnes, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Figures released by the National Disaster Coordinating Council showed that the damage caused by the dry spell on the farm sector has already topped the PHP12billion (US$258.42 million) mark. The figure is higher than the DA's low-end estimate of PHP8 billion (US$172.28 million).

The department and its statistics bureau earlier said corn production would drop by 17% to 4.64 million tonnes in first nine months of 2010.

Earlier, Philippine feedmillers have imported a total of 80,000 tonnes of yellow corn from Thailand to fill the gap in production caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon which have already destroyed corn crops mostly in Luzon.

Next to rice, corn is the country's second staple, and a basic ingredient in animal feeds production. A contraction in corn production puts pressure on the corn-based industries.

The DA said it has yet to receive reports from regional offices on the extent of farm damage caused by flashfloods in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato last month.