By Edwin Fernandez/Philippine News Agency
COTABATO CITY — Corn production in Kidapawan City and its environs are expected to increase with the impending distribution of hybrid corn seeds to farmer beneficiaries.
This, after Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, gave the green light for the distribution of hybrid corn seeds to farmers severely affected by the mild El Niño phenomenon.
“This is for the affected corn farmers to recover from their crop losses,” the mayor said in a statement Tuesday.
Psalmer Bernalte, head of the Kidapawan City disaster risk reduction and management council (CDRRMC), said farmer association officials may claim the seeds at the council’s operation center.
In February, the Kidapawan City council has approved a recommendation from the mayor’s office to place the city under a state of calamity due to the effects of the El Niño.
Kidapawan City Agriculturist Marissa Aton said the number of bags each farmer’s association will get depends on the extent of damage incurred from the dry spell.
The village of Onica has the largest number of cornfields affected with 120 hectares. “The village has not experienced rain over the past four months,” Aton said.
Barangay Onica farmers are set to receive 134 sacks of hybrid corn seeds.
Data from the city agriculture office showed about 596 hectares of cornfields destroyed by the drought in the entire city. The city has 40 barangays.
Bernalte said a total of 707 hybrid corn bags are set to be distributed by the CDRRMC office starting Thursday.
Meanwhile, Aton said rice farmers who also suffered the brunt of the El Niño are also expected to receive hybrid rice seeds in the coming days.
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