To sustain the local corn production in the region, the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) through the Corn Program distributed 202 bags of hybrid yellow corn seeds to corn growers in Rizal, Kalinga on April 27-28, 2022.ย
The assistance benefitted 202 farmers from four (4) Farmers Cooperative and Associations (FCAs), namely, San Francisco Pumiyaan Community Consumers Cooperative, Timpuyog Agriculture Cooperative, Mannalon Ti Babalag West Farmers Association, and Bulbul Community Pumiyaan Consumers Cooperative.ย
Each farmer beneficiary will receive 9 kilograms of hybrid corn seeds good for a half-hectare farm. A roll-over scheme will also be implemented where the FCA shall collect one-half (1/2) of the cost of corn seeds from the farmer-beneficiary at the end of the harvest season. The collected amount will be used to procure corn seeds for the next-in-line beneficiaries coming from the members of the association.
Mr. Frederick L. Licupa, President of Mannalon Ti Babalag West Farmers Association, expressed his thanks to the agency on behalf of their association. โThis is a big help to farmers especially with the increasing price of farm inputs nowadays. This would lessen our expenses and save more money to buy other things needed at the farm. Through the roll-over scheme, the association will also have additional savings that could be used not only to buy seeds but also to lend to farmer-members in need,โ he said.ย
He also added that the hybrid seeds being distributed are far better than the ordinary seeds that they are planting. Accordingly, hybrid corn seeds could yield up to seven (7) tons per hectare compared to the yield of ordinary seeds which averages three (3) tons.ย
A technical briefing about the program and the implementing guidelines was also conducted prior to distribution per association.ย
Mr. Octaviano Calantas of the Corn Program Unit said that this is the first batch of distribution for this year and will be continuously implemented throughout the whole region for the month of May and June. The distribution of hybrid corn seeds is going on at Alfonso Lista, Ifugao this week, May 2-6.