October 29, 2010

South Korea grants Philippine agriculture with US$790,000

South Korea has provided a US$790,000 grant to the Department of Agriculture for the establishment of another modern corn postharvest facility in the Philippines' Isabela province.

In a statement yesterday, the department said the facility will include a corn processing centre, two multipurpose warehouses and a community centre. The multipurpose warehouse will serve as a machinery shed and grain storage facility, while the community centre will be used for training using South Korean expertise.

Farmers will also be provided with seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, the department said.

An initial three hectares will be utilised for the project, with two hectares to be used for corn production and the rest for the facility, the department said.

The corn facility's exact location in the province of Isabela has yet to be set. Last October 8, a PHP500-million corn processing centre was inaugurated in Reina Mercedes, Isabela that can process 200,000 tonnes.

The government expects corn production this year to reach 6.22 million tonnes, 11.52% less than last year's 7.03 million tonnes.