H1 corn production up 36.8% – report

Corn production increased by 36.81 percent in January to June to 3.3 million metric tons (MT), compared to 2.41 million MT a year earlier. A report by the National Corn Program (NCP) noted the output increase can be attributed to the 45.19-percent rise in yellow corn production. “We noticed that yellow corn production was up by as much as 752,000 MT from the previous year’s output of 1.66 million MT. This is good news for our corn farmers," NCP director Edilberto de Luna said Wednesday. Production increases were reported in the corn-producing areas of Ilocos, SOCCSKSARGEN, Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The increase was also caused by the expansion of hectarage devoted to corn —14.17 percent wider to 1.1 million has. Yield per hectare for both white and yellow corn was pegged at around 2.99 MT per hectare. Farm mechanization and better post harvest facilities also helped increased yields, according to the NCP. “The significant increases in production, area and yield for the first semester of crop year 2011 can be attributed to good weather, availability of good varieties, good farmgate price and stable prices of inputs," said De Luna. The report also noted the average price for both varieties was stable throughout January to June 2011. Yellow corn farmgate price was at P11.67/ kg, wholesale at P15.01/kg and retail at P19.26/kg. White corn prices for the first semester were P14.85/kg, farmgate; P16.10/kg, wholesale; and P18.81/kg, retail. — BC/VS, GMA News