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With the desire of boosting the production of corn in Eastern Visayas, a collaborative meeting gathered the corn and cassava farmers and key stakeholders to discuss salient points on various concerns on corn and feed crops industries in the region.

Twelve representatives from different Cassava/Corn Clusters and 36 other farmers actively participated to form part in the said activity to co-create goals and collaborative actions to improve the corn/cassava industry.

β€œπ‘‡β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘˜ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘˜π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž 𝑒𝑠. π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘’π‘›π‘π‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘™π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘  π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘–π‘‘π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘›π‘”π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘¦’𝑠 π‘šπ‘œπ‘ π‘‘ π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘”π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘π‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘™ π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘ , π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π‘  π‘ π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿ,” Mr. Cyril L. Soliaban, Officer in Charge, Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) expressed.

Region 8 has a total corn area of around 39,292 hectares, with Leyte province dominating having 20,435 hectares. However, it was seen that the region has a lower productivity compared to the national average. Thus, this indicates a need for enhancement of farm technologies and extension support.

Dir. Rodel G. MacapaΓ±as, DA RFO 8 OIC- Regional Executive Director, shared his optimism in his message which was delivered by OIC-RTD Leonarda A. Londina, despite the challenges the corn industry in the region is currently facing. β€œπ΄π‘šπ‘–π‘‘π‘ π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘ , 𝑀𝑒 π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘™π‘ π‘œ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’ π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘ π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘¦π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘ π‘’π‘β„Ž π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€π‘–π‘›π‘”. πΉπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘› 𝑒π‘₯π‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›. 𝐿𝑒𝑦𝑑𝑒 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘†π‘Žπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘’π‘›π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘˜π‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘™π‘œπ‘€ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘› π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›, π‘ π‘’π‘π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘” π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘¦. 𝑂𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘Žπ‘£π‘Ž π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›, π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘Žπ‘£π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘› π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘π‘™π‘–π‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’-π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘–π‘™π‘–π‘’π‘›π‘‘ 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘, π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘–π‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’ π‘œπ‘› π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘€ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘Žπ‘™π‘ . 𝑂𝑛 π‘π‘œπ‘ π‘‘-β„Žπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘£π‘’π‘ π‘‘ π‘“π‘Žπ‘π‘–π‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘ , π‘–π‘›π‘£π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘¦π‘–π‘›π‘”, π‘šπ‘–π‘™π‘™π‘–π‘›π‘”, π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ π‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘”π‘’ π‘“π‘Žπ‘π‘–π‘™π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘  𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘π‘’ π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘ π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘π‘–π‘™π‘–π‘§π‘’ π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘–π‘›π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’. 𝑂𝑛 π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘™π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘”, π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘”π‘Žπ‘›π‘–π‘§π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘™π‘™β„Žπ‘œπ‘™π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘œπ‘œπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’π‘  π‘’π‘›β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’π‘  π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘”π‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘π‘π‘’π‘ π‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘–π‘›π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘˜π‘’π‘‘π‘ ,” he emphasized.

The PCAF, being the consultative policy making body has initiated this dialogue meeting to serve as a platform for stakeholder participation that help in crafting resolutions and decisions for national polies involving the development of corn production.

β€œπ‘‡β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™π‘œπ‘”π‘’π‘’ 𝑖𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› 𝑗𝑒𝑠𝑑 π‘Žπ‘›π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘ π‘’π‘™π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘šπ‘’π‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”, π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑀𝑒 π‘’π‘›π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘”π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘œπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘’π‘  𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘–π‘œπ‘› π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œπ‘”π‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ. π‘‚π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘”π‘œπ‘Žπ‘™ 𝑖𝑠 π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘ π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘™π‘¦ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑦 π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘™π‘™π‘’π‘›π‘”π‘’π‘ , 𝑏𝑒𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘π‘‘π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘π‘  π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑑 π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘› π‘£π‘Žπ‘™π‘’π‘’ π‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘–π‘›,” Mr. Soliaban specified.

Said activity also provided an opportunity for the participants to visit cassava/corn farms of the Coconut, Livestock, Rootcrops, Vegetables Farmers (CLIRVEF) Agriculture Cooperative in Biliran, Biliran, and San Miguel Farmers Association (SAMIFA) in San Isidro, Leyte, and benchmark their successful operations. There were exchange of ideas that transpired that can help to all the associations and farmers present improve their farming techniques.

Together, all stakeholders hope for a stronger partnership and boost the corn/cassava industry in Region 8 to its great potential.