TACLOBAN CITY — The Leyte provincial government is seeking stronger support for the province’s corn industry as it moves to raise farm productivity, improve farmers’ incomes and increase the supply of yellow corn for the growing feed industry.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Department Head Engr. Arvin Monge, together with Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Engr. Maria Lourdes Nadera, represented the provincial government during the opening of the National Sectoral Committee on Corn and Feed Crops (NSC-CFC) and Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council (RAFC) Region 8 Collaborative Dialogue-Meeting.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from the corn and feed crops sector to discuss industry concerns, strengthen coordination and identify measures to improve productivity and competitiveness.
Speaking on behalf of Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla, Monge highlighted Leyte’s contribution to corn production in Eastern Visayas and stressed the need for sustained assistance to farmers.
Data from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist showed that
Leyte had 17,123 hectares planted to corn and 20,569 registered corn farmers in 2024.
The province’s average yield for yellow corn ranges from 3.5 to 4 metric tons per hectare, with most production areas located in the Third District.
The municipalities of Calubian, Leyte, San Isidro, Tabango and Villaba account for nearly half of the province’s corn production areas, according to the OPA.
Monge also presented the provincial government’s Community Assistance Program (CAP), which provides production loans of P50,000 to P100,000 to qualified farmers and fisherfolk.
The financial assistance is complemented by technical support, including training programs, technology demonstrations and corn production demonstration farms aimed at improving farmers’ skills and productivity and encouraging more growers to engage in corn production.
Monge said access to affordable working capital, combined with appropriate technical assistance, could help corn farmers increase their production and income while contributing to the supply requirements of the feed industry.
The provincial government also committed to working with national government agencies, agricultural councils and other stakeholders to address the challenges facing corn farmers and maximize Leyte’s production potential.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
