Published Date Corn is the second most important crop in the Philippines. About 14 million Filipinos prefer white corn as their main staple and yellow corn accounts for about 50% of livestock mixed feeds. Some 600,000 farm households depend on corn as a major source of livelihood, in addition to transport services, traders, processors and agricultural input suppliers who directly benefit from corn production, processing, marketing and distribution.
Corn is also processed into high value products, such as cornstarch, corn syrups, corn oil, gluten and snack foods.
The Department of Agriculture’s Agri-Pinoy Corn Program aims to increase production of quality corn and also cassava for human consumption, feeds and industrial uses, as well as empower the farmers and increase their income, thereby improving their quality of life.
Overall strategy is to fast track the expansion of hybrid corn, cassava and other feed crops production to achieve food and feed self-sufficiency, enhance the competitiveness of the domestic livestock and poultry sectors through cheaper feed inputs as well as generate jobs in rural communities. Program Components
I. PRODUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES
Activities under this component are geared towards showcasing cost—reducing technologies which are efficient, effective, and economical towards global competitiveness and productivity.
A. White Corn Seed Production and Exchange Subsidy Production and distribution of quality registered and certified open-pollinated variety (OPV) corn seeds under counterpart arrangement with LGUs to farmers practicing coconut-corn intercrop and those in the uplands whose main staple is white corn grits.
B. Support to Cassava Production Provision of high-yielding varieties of cassava seed pieces in support to contract growing arrangement between farmers and processors/end-users and distribution of post-harvest facilities under counterpart-funding arrangement.
C.