TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas farmers witnessed a record-breaking corn harvest as the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 8 (DA-RFO 8) held its Corn Derby Farmers’ Field Day and Harvest Festival in Barangay Cagbuhangin, Ormoc City.
The event, which capped four months of preparation in partnership with private seed and fertilizer companies and government agencies, highlighted the potential of improved farming practices and modern technologies to boost corn production in the region.
“This is the first time we’ve seen such high yields — 13 metric tons — proving that Region 8 can further increase its corn production,” DA Regional Executive Director Andrew Rodolfo Orais said. “Let us mark this day as the start of progress for our corn industry and our corn farmers.”
Some 185 members of the Ormoc City Corn Cluster Association (OCCCA) joined the activity, which also featured 27 seed and fertilizer companies showcasing their technologies with support from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management. Farmer Herminigildo R. Serafica contributed 24 hectares of his land to serve as the corn demonstration area.
OCCCA chairman Edgardo Apas said the corn derby has been a huge help to farmers, especially with access to new technologies and the opportunity to learn directly from seed and fertilizer companies.
The annual Corn Derby is designed to demonstrate proper crop management — from high-quality seeds and balanced fertilization to irrigation and crop protection — with DA projecting that yields could rise to at least five metric tons per hectare for yellow corn and three metric tons for white corn.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
