By April Grace R. Padilla

ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas is looking at the “corn after rice” mechanism as a means to increase farmers’ yields and income in the Visayas. 

During a press conference held as part of the 18th National Corn Congress-Visayas Cluster in Iloilo City recently, National Corn Program Director Milo D. Delos Reyes emphasized the need to address the demands of corn production in the region. 

Except for Cebu, Delos Reyes said the Visayas region is low in yield per hectare in corn production, saying that the livestock sector needs more or less 10 million metric tons, and by far, the production is just around six million metric tons. 

“We are intensifying the production of corn for next year, and this year, we are helping farmers by providing seeds, post-harvest, fertilizer, and other interventions,” shared Delos Reyes.

With Western Visayas having around 47,000 hectares of corn plantation, DA Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Dennis Arpia said they are exploring planting corn after rice in areas without adequate irrigation during the dry season. 

“We’re basically looking into how we could double our production…The DA right now, mas malaki na yung coverage area natin pero hindi lang kasi yun yung factor na kailangan i-consider. Napaka-importante nung farm management at saka yung pag-adopt ng farmers natin sa technology,” said Arpia.

(The DA right now, our coverage area is larger, but that’s not the only factor that needs to be considered. Farm management and the adoption of technology by our farmers are very important.)

Pointing out the rainy weather that prevails during harvest season, he stated the need for post-harvest facilities such as dry and storage facilities.

Arpia further stated that currently, good varieties are being introduced, better support for farmers, adoption of technologies like biofertilizer, soil condition enhancement, and integrated pest management.

To note, over 500 corn industry stakeholders from Regions VI, VII, VIII, and NIR, including farmers, government officials, private sector representatives, and partners, gathered for the Corn Congress, conducted in partnership with the Philippine Maize Federation, Inc.

The activity served as the venue to showcase modern farm technologies, share best practices, and forge stronger market linkages, geared towards more sustainable programs for the corn industry. (AAL/AGP/PIA 6)

Published Date: October 6, 2025