DA 7 distributes corn seeds to farmers ahead of rainy season

TO ENSURE adequate food supply in Central Visayas during the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 has distributed corn seeds in preparation for the wet planting season.

“We need to ensure that food production will continue despite this coronavirus pandemic. The uniqueness of our region as an island province compared with other regions which are land-based provinces has its disadvantages, especially in the movements of activities, but by any means, we need to provide the timely distribution of intervention,” said DA 7 Regional Director Salvador Diputado.

The rainy season in the Philippines

usually starts between the second half of May and first half of June. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, however, has yet to declare the start of the rainy season.

As of now, the corn seeds are already in the respective provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor through the DA 7’s Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Offices (Patco).

Of the four provinces, Cebu has the biggest share of corn seeds.

“Cebu is a corn area and Cebuanos are corn eaters,” Norberto Ouano, DA 7’s Corn and Cassava program coordinator, said.

For Cebu Province, a total of 1,040 bags of open pollinated variety (OPV) white corn seeds, 501 bags of conventional hybrid yellow corn seeds and 224 bags of genetically modified (GM) hybrid yellow corn seeds have been allocated.

Ouano added that the program is procuring additional corn seeds and fertilizers to support the corn farmers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

He noted that Bohol Province, before the pandemic, already received 500 bags of OPV white corn seeds and 500 bags of conventional yellow corn hybrid seeds.

Negros Oriental was given a total of 410 bags of OPV white corn seeds, 500 bags of conventional hybrid yellow corn seeds and 50 bags of GM hybrid yellow corn seeds while 100 bags of OPV white corn seeds and 20 bags of conventional hybrid yellow corn seeds were set aside for Siquijor.

The respective Patcos together with the provincial agriculture offices will distribute these seeds to the different municipalities of the four provinces in the region. The distribution of corn seeds is one of the interventions of the Corn Program that aims to increase corn production in the region.