by JAMES EARL E. OGATIS
Iloilo City – Farmers produced a total of 310, 328 metric tons (mt) of yellow and white corn in Western Visayas last 2011.
According to Mr. Ricardo B. Saltin, Agri-Pinoy regional corn coordinator, the province of Iloilo produced the highest being 164,733 mt followed by Negros Occidental - 90,126 mt, Capiz - 47,150 mt, Antique - 4,752 mt, Aklan - 2,850 mt and Guimaras - 717 mt.
A total of 242,627 mt of yellow corn was produced last year mainly used as feeds for poultry and livestock, while 67,701 mt of white corn was recorded and used as alternative staple food of humans, Saltin added.
As to the total area harvested, the province of Negros Occidental has the largest area with 59,810 hectares (ha) followed by Iloilo - 43,984 ha., Capiz – 14,823 ha., Antique - 1,899 ha., Aklan - 1,082 ha., and Guimaras – 662 ha. This comprised a total of 122,240 ha. area harvested for Region VI.
Saltin encouraged corn farmers to continue planting corn as early as possible this first quarter for PAGASA forecasted that there will be a mild La Niña for the first semester of this year. This weather condition is favorable to corn production.
“With this early planting, we can raise our sufficiency level this year considering our low sufficiency level of 26 percent last year. It must be noted that poultry and livestock sector in Western Visayas has a total demand of 660,273.9 mt,” Mr. Saltin pointed out. /MP
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