ZAMBOANGA CITY (Darwin Wee / 03 Nov) – To help boost white corn production in southern Philippines, the Department of Agriculture on Friday said it will put up a P27-million modern post-harvest facilities in Zamboanga Del Norte province early next year.
"The project would be put up in the town of Sergio Osmena and probably within the first quarter," DA chief of operation Sammy M. Simbajon told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said the project is a joint effort between the DA, the National Agribusiness Corporation, an attached agency, and the town of Sergio Osmena and the provincial government.
"The one-hectare, post-harvest processing plant will soon rise in the municipality of Sergio Osmena in Zamboanga del Norte and this will benefit many farmers and help boost white corn production in southern Philippines," he said.
The integrated plant, Simbajon said, will consist of three processing, warehousing and trading centers, including a marketing area.
"The funding for the project will come from collaborative efforts of the DA, the National Agribusiness Corporation and Sergio Osmena town and the provincial government. The DA will provide at least P17-million, while the municipal government and Zamboanga del Norte will provide P 10 million," he said.
Aside from the post-harvest facilities, the DA said it will also develop at least 560-ha. for corn production. Zamboanga Peninsula produces some 100,000 tons of corns annually. "This project alone will cost us about P2 million," he said.
Zamboanga Peninsula has more than 185,000-ha. planted to corn. And Simbajon said the region still has some 200,000-ha. for potential areas for corn production.
Simbajon expressed confident that local corn farmers in the region can supply the processing plant's average daily requirements of 136 tons of corn. The facility, he said, will be operated using mostly corn cobs to help conserve fuel.
The processing plant is expected to earn some P2 million every harvest season, Simbajon said.
"The project is inline with President Gloria Arroyo's food security program," Simbahon said, noting that corn is the staple food of at least 35% of the country's total population and is source of livelihood for some 220,000 upland farmers in Zamboanga Peninsula.
"These modern post-harvest processing facilities would reduce the cost of corn processing and ultimately benefit small farmers and even small and medium scale corn-based enterprises. Our objectives here are to assure direct market for corn farmers in the region and reduce perennial post harvest losses, and to really guarantee a minimum net income of P12,500 per hectare to local farmers," he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
1 comment:
Now, this is progress.
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