DA Maps Out Asian Swine Fever And Corn – Animals Need Care, Also Need Cereal

A good animal husbandman plans both for his swine herd and/or poultry flock along with their respective nutrition – the sciences of raising pigs and chickens must be considered along with the economics of their food systems that both necessarily involve corn.

He is a poor manager who does not consider the sciences and economics of swine & poultry husbandries at the same time with the science and economics of corn production. With the threat of the Asian Swine Fever (ASF), the animals need the care while they also need the corn.

In PH news, ANN says (02 Jan 2022, “Propping Up Corn Production, Controlling ASF To Revive Livestock, Poultry Sector[1],” DA.gov.ph):

The Department of Agriculture (DA) – in partnership with farmers' cooperatives and associations (FCAs), local government units (LGUs), and key industry players – is bent on enhancing the production of corn, the country's second main staple, and more importantly as an integral part of the meat value chain or food system.

Partnering with FCAs, LGUs and industry players – a vital program component of the DA under the leadership of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar, who assumed office in August 2019. The DA is “enhancing the production of corn” because this cereal is “an integral part of the meat value chain or food system.” As a good manager, you have to think in terms of systems.

So, why is the DA worried about corn? It’s Supply meeting Demand.

Much is yet to be done, however, as the country's sufficiency level, particularly of yellow corn, currently stands at only 59%.

For 2021, total corn production was projected to 8.24 MMT, where 72% (5.92 MMT) is yellow corn (YC), mainly for animal feeds, and 28% (2.32 MMT) is white corn (WC).

Note: WC is the staple of people in Central Visayas and some parts of Mindanao; it also goes to snacks, according to Director Milo De Los Reyes of the DA National Corn Program (NCP).

With its P1.52 Billion 2021 budget, the NCP undertook the following interventions:

• Distributed 99 units of machinery and equipment – including tractors, combine harvesters and corn planters – to 57 FCAs in corn and cassava production; and 257 units of postharvest-machinery and equipment and facilities – including corn mill, hammer mill, recirculating dryer, corn sheller, multi-crop drying pavement, and seed storage facilities –  to 203 FCAs.

• Installed 269 engine pump sets for open source and shallow tube wells for 251 FCAs cultivating 1,035 ha.

• Conducted 322 trainings on production and postharvest technologies for 8,329 farmers and agricultural extension workers.

• Controlled fall armyworm infestation, funded under Bayanihan II at P100M, in 15,290 ha, benefitting 52,488 corn farmers.

• Provided marketing assistance to 188 corn and cassava FCAs cultivating 54,789 ha nationwide.

Finally, the NCP and the Yellow Corn Roadmap Development Team reviewed and finalized the National Yellow Corn Industry Roadmap, in consultation with corn and livestock industry stakeholders and the PCAF national banner program committee on poultry, livestock and corn, on September 10 and October 26, 2021.

Without a Roadmap, you don’t know where you’re going!@517

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[1]https://www.da.gov.ph/oneda-family-2021-yearender-propping-up-corn-production-controlling-asf-to-revive-livestock-poultry-sector/