Aquino wants increased corn production in 2012

The government is keen on increasing corn production for 2012 in order to ease the rice demand, according to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s 55-page budget message to Congress.

The move is part of the government’s rice self-sufficiency and food sufficiency plan.

In his message, Aquino said noted that corn is second to rice as the most important crop in the Philippines.

“It is the best candidate agricultural produce of the country to help ease the pressure on rice demand. Increasing corn production output means a lot in attaining food sufficiency,” he said.

Aquino said that government will also be doubling the subsidy for the National Corn Program to P951 million in 2012 from P484 this year, in order to hit the target production of 7.6 million metric tons (MT).

Most of the increase in the program budget, or 75 percent, will be used for post-harvest facilities meant to stabilize white corn grain supply as part of a plan to support palay output.

Irrigation, rice and food self-sufficiency

Government has allocated P24.8 billion to irrigate 214,055 hectares of land in order to achieve rice and food self-sufficiency that is set to benefit 142,767 households.

The Nation Rice Program, meanwhile, will be given P6.2 billion for 2012 compared to P4.3 billion this year, said Aquino. The bulk of the increase will be used to purchase and distribute post-harvest equipment and machinery.

Government is targeting 19.2 million metric tons of palay for 2012, resulting in a sufficiency rate of 91.9 percent, much higher than the 80 percent and 84.4 percent in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

The fisheries sector, meanwhile, will be given P1.9 billion to help boost production at 5.6 million MT from commercial, municipal and aquaculture fisheries.

Another P1 billion will be allocated for the National Livestock Program, to help achieve its target of 2 million MT of hogs and 15 million MT of chicken. The targets will be achieved through the purchase of post-harvest facilities and equipment such as biogas digesters, dairy processing plants, slaughterhouses and cold storage facilities. — Bea Cupin/KBK, GMA News