July 30, 2007

Drought to reduce Philippines' corn output this year
 

Philippine corn output this year is likely to be lower than previously expected, as a prevailing drought could reduce crop yield, a senior agriculture official said Monday (Jul 30).

The new forecast - in a range of 6.5 million to 6.7 million tonnes - is down from the department's original projection of 6.9 million tonnes for 2007. Last year's production totalled 6.08 million tonnes.

"We expect to lose close to 200,000 tonnes of corn to the drought," said Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo, the department's programme director for corn.

The anticipated reduction in output would be much larger if not for an expected bumper crop in the Mindanao region, which accounts for about 60 percent of the country's total output, he said.

To help mitigate the adverse effects of the dry spell, the department will be planting corn in about 70,000 hectares of traditional rice areas, where farmers are unable to plant due to the prevailing drier weather conditions.

"Instead of planting these areas to rice, we will be planting corn, which is not as water-intensive as rice," Araullo said.

The country's weather bureau attributes the prevailing drought to a ridge of high pressure extending over the country, which is preventing the arrival of monsoon rains.

Corn is a major component in livestock and poultry feeds.