AGRINURTURE Inc. (ANI) said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has supported its proposal to boost corn production and introduce its BigMa rice-corn blend to consumers as a healthier alternative.
In a letter to Antonio Tiu, ANI president and chief executive officer, DA Secretary William Dar said the DA is favorably endorsing and committing funds and technical assistance to push the company’s project.
In his letter, the official also mentioned that the promotion of the rice-corn blend in Visayas and Mindanao areas and eventually in other regions of the country is laudable and a timely initiative as a food resiliency intervention amid and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.
Aside from funding support, Dar said DA will also mobilize its regional field offices and collaborate with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples for the detailed planning and implementation of ANI’s proposal.
According to Tiu, the rice-corn blend can help with the perennial rice shortage as well as with the current limitations being implemented by rice exporting countries, as corn is cheaper to produce and requires less water to grow compared to rice.
“Corn is 20 percent cheaper to produce and easier to grow and scale up since the Philippines lacks good water sources. While corn’s traditional yield is only three tons per hectare, ANI plans to use hybrid corn seeds to double the yield,” he said.
He added planting corn for blending purposes with rice will also spur economic activities in areas with lots of idle labor and unirrigated farmlands. The company is also partnering with indigenous peoples (IPs) to help them plant corn to make their lands more productive.
Tiu said the company will initially start with 20,000 hectares of land to generate at least 100,000 metric tons (MT) of corn for blending. A memorandum of agreement was already signed with an indigenous group in Mindanao, aside from DA’s commitment to endorse ANI’s plans to other IPs.
At present, the Philippines is producing 19 million MT of palay but only 8 million MT of corn annually.
