April 17, 2008

 

Northern Mindanao's 2007 corn output up 8.71 percent

 

 

Corn production in the Philippines' Northern Mindanao reached 1,048,344 tonnes last year, up 8.71 percent and valued at Php1.019 billion (US$26.24 million), according to Department of Agriculture regional office.

 

The volume is higher compared to 964,327 tonnes recorded in 2006 and its value 14.05 percent higher than Php836,079,967 in the same period, DA's regional executive director Lealyn Abellanosa-Ramos.

 

Data gathered by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) in the region show yellow corn production jumped from 595,368 tonnes to 690,085 tonnes, up 15.91 percent, while its value, also increased from Php5,346,404.64 to Php6,673,121.95 or 24.82 percent.

 

Production of white corn, however, dropped from 368,959MT to 358,259MT or a negative 2.90 percent despite a value increase of 3.28 percent, from Php3,014,395.03 to Php3,113,270.71. 

 

Farm gate prices of both grains also registered average increases during the period from Php8.17 to Php8.69 or 6.36 percent for white corn and Php8.98 to Php9.67 or 7.68 percent for yellow corn.

 

Ramos said the improvement of corn yield is attributed to wider usage of hybrid seeds and lesser incidence of diseases and pests.

 

Meanwhile, the region recorded an 11.19 percent increase, from 2.55 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) to 2.83 t/ha in corn yield also last year. Yellow corn yielded a 9.42 percent increase, from 3.29 t/ha to 4.15 t/ha and white corn, from 1.67 t/ha to 1.76t/ha or 5.56 percent.

 

Ramos, however, said there was a slight decrease in the area harvested to corn which went down from 378.27 to 369.839 hectares or 2.23 percent. On the other hand, area planted to white corn decreased from 221.275 ha to 203.534 ha or negative 8.02 percent while yellow corn posted an increase, from 156.998 ha to 166.305 ha or 5.93 percent.

 

Meanwhile, an estimated population (EP) of 4,127,829 and a per capita consumption (PCC) of 30.78kg./year put the region's corn sufficiency level (CSL) at 208.58 percent.

 

Lanao del Norte with an EP of 938,014 and a PCC of 25.58 kg/yr posted the highest CSL of 549.46 percent, followed by Camiguin with an EP of 79,745 and a PCC of 2.5 kg./yr. or a CSL of 204.99%.

 

Misamis Occidental with an EP of 536,658 and a PCC of 29.8 kg/yr posted a CSL of 154.46 percent while Misamis Oriental, with an EP of 1,284,062 and a PCC of 17.73 kg/yr posted a CSL of 148.86 percent and Bukidnon with an EP of 1,289,350 and a PCC of 41.76 kg/yr, the lowest CSL of 98.06 percent.

 

US$1 = P41.915 As of April 17, 2008