CORN production in Central Visayas declined last year compared to 2007, mainly due to typhoon Frank, according to preliminary data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7.

Last year, total corn production in the region was only 175,045 metric tons, short by 24,375 metric tons to 2007’s 199,420 metric tons.

In Cebu, initial DA 7 data showed that last year’s corn yield was only 91,742 metric tons, short by 14,410 metric tons to 106,152 metric tons produced by the province in 2007.

Ernesto Villacorta, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Agricultural Statistics Office, said the decline in corn production was due to the weather disturbances that hit the region last year.

He cited typhoon Frank as one of those that badly hit provinces in Central Visayas last June. Typhoon Frank damaged P20-million worth of crops and properties in the northern towns of Cebu.

“Due to the typhoon, the affected areas are still undergoing rehabilitation and harvest period was moved,” Villacorta said.

Final data for crop yield in 2008 will be released next week.

Meanwhile, rice production in the region increased 59,477 metric tons to 311,279 metric tons from 251,802 metric tons in 2007.

Villacorta said the higher yield is due to a bigger total harvest area. From 97, 507 hectares in 2007, total harvest area for rice last year rose to 105,154 hectares.

Bohol has the highest increase in harvest area with 5,522 hectares in 2008; the province now has 76,063 hectares planted with rice. Oriental Negros’s rice fields, on the other hand, grew to 23,053 hectares from 23, 053 hectares in 2007.

Cebu’s rice harvest area also grew to 5,233 hectares last year from 4,957 hectares in 2007.

Villacorta expects corn yield to go up in the first quarter of this year. (DME)

For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here.

(January 10, 2009 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.