ZAMBOANGA CITY—There are 15 corn post-harvest processing and trading centers (CPPTC) nationwide and two of these are found in Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte and Ramon Magsaysay, Zamboanga del Sur, announced Dennis Araullo, agriculture assistant secretary.
Scattered strategically, seven of these centers are located in Luzon; two in the Visayas; and six in Mindanao, he added.
Araullo was here during the 3rd quarter national Corn Program held at the Garden Orchid Hotel and participated in by banner coordinators, report officers and stakeholders.
He added that the 15 CPPTC are projects funded and counter parted by and among the DA, National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) and LGUs who wanted the address postharvest losses among farmers.
NABCOR operates and matches DA’s thrust in the development of innovative agribusiness enterprises in the countryside and in helping improve yield as well as boost the incomes of small farmers and fisher folks.
Araullo, who is also the national coordinator of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Corn, was quoted in another report by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) that the corn centers are located within the GMA Corn Program cluster areas or within GMA Corn Program new areas of at least 1,000 hectares, and are accessible to transportation, communications and market center.
Aside from the ones in Ramon Magsaysay and Sergio Osmeña, other corn facilities placed in Mindanao are in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, Alamada, North Cotabato, Tupi, South Cotabato, Talakag in Bukidnon, and Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur.
The PIA further reported that NABCOR and its joint venture partners are now operating four corn centers in Kabacan and Banga in North Cotabato and Malungon, Saranggani.
Araullo said the DA and NABCOR will continue investing in these facilities in 2009, with 15 priority sites being targeted, including those in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte; Pangantucan, Bukidnon; Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay and Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur, all of Mindanao.
Zamboanga del Sur has a total corn land of 88,209 hectares while Zamboanga del Norte has 49,975.
Araullo said that these facilities will allow for continuous supply of corn, produces premium quality grains at 14 per cent moisture content and reduces drying and processing costs by half.
Corn is the second staple food among Filipinos and is being utilized as a source of carbohydrates, vitamins, folic acid and insoluble fibers, among others is also an important ingredient in hogs and poultry feeds.
Hogs and poultry industry need corn as the main ingredient for feeds while some sectors used it as a source of ethanol, a blend for gasoline.
“The opportunities for the corn industry are boundless that is why we encourage corn farmers to produce more and get the highest benefit of this crop,” Araullo said.
The CPPTC alone needs 200 tons of corn on cobs at least every three to four days, having four drying bins of 50 tons capacity per bin.
It was learned that some 4.8 million hectares around the country remain idle and are seen as potential areas for expansion of the corn crop based on ideal agro-climatic conditions.
These are regions of Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindoro Island, Western Visayas, Comval and Caraga, Central Mindanao and ARMM.
WITH REPORTS BY MELBA WEE, DA-9
Scattered strategically, seven of these centers are located in Luzon; two in the Visayas; and six in Mindanao, he added.
Araullo was here during the 3rd quarter national Corn Program held at the Garden Orchid Hotel and participated in by banner coordinators, report officers and stakeholders.
He added that the 15 CPPTC are projects funded and counter parted by and among the DA, National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) and LGUs who wanted the address postharvest losses among farmers.
NABCOR operates and matches DA’s thrust in the development of innovative agribusiness enterprises in the countryside and in helping improve yield as well as boost the incomes of small farmers and fisher folks.
Araullo, who is also the national coordinator of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Corn, was quoted in another report by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) that the corn centers are located within the GMA Corn Program cluster areas or within GMA Corn Program new areas of at least 1,000 hectares, and are accessible to transportation, communications and market center.
Aside from the ones in Ramon Magsaysay and Sergio Osmeña, other corn facilities placed in Mindanao are in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, Alamada, North Cotabato, Tupi, South Cotabato, Talakag in Bukidnon, and Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur.
The PIA further reported that NABCOR and its joint venture partners are now operating four corn centers in Kabacan and Banga in North Cotabato and Malungon, Saranggani.
Araullo said the DA and NABCOR will continue investing in these facilities in 2009, with 15 priority sites being targeted, including those in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte; Pangantucan, Bukidnon; Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay and Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur, all of Mindanao.
Zamboanga del Sur has a total corn land of 88,209 hectares while Zamboanga del Norte has 49,975.
Araullo said that these facilities will allow for continuous supply of corn, produces premium quality grains at 14 per cent moisture content and reduces drying and processing costs by half.
Corn is the second staple food among Filipinos and is being utilized as a source of carbohydrates, vitamins, folic acid and insoluble fibers, among others is also an important ingredient in hogs and poultry feeds.
Hogs and poultry industry need corn as the main ingredient for feeds while some sectors used it as a source of ethanol, a blend for gasoline.
“The opportunities for the corn industry are boundless that is why we encourage corn farmers to produce more and get the highest benefit of this crop,” Araullo said.
The CPPTC alone needs 200 tons of corn on cobs at least every three to four days, having four drying bins of 50 tons capacity per bin.
It was learned that some 4.8 million hectares around the country remain idle and are seen as potential areas for expansion of the corn crop based on ideal agro-climatic conditions.
These are regions of Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindoro Island, Western Visayas, Comval and Caraga, Central Mindanao and ARMM.
WITH REPORTS BY MELBA WEE, DA-9
