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Monday, November 28, 2005
Grain production slips in S. Cotabato
PALAY and corn production in South Cotabato slightly dropped over the last 10 months reportedly due to erratic climate changes in the area and the emergence of various crop pests and diseases.
According to a partial yearend report released last week by the South Cotabato provincial agriculture office, palay production in rain-fed areas fell by nine percent while the area's white and yellow corn output decreased by 10 and three percent, respectively.
The statistics cover the period January to October.
Palay recorded a harvest of 200,685.30 metric tons (MT), with an average yield of 4.3 MT per hectare, from at least 48,009.15 hectares of irrigated farmlands.
The total production is nine percent lower than the 2004 level.
For non-rain-fed areas, the total palay output reached 63,943.15 tons planted to 16,826.25 hectares.
The average production was 3.5 MT per hectare.
Yellow corn production, which averaged 4.3 MT per hectare, reached 230,659.05 MT from a total area of 61,786.75 hectares. The output is three percent lower than the previous year.
For white corn, the province produced 104,230.96 MT, at an average 3.1 MT, from some 31,275.75 hectares. The production is 10 percent lower than in 2004.
Reynaldo Legaste, South Cotabato agriculture officer, said the combined effects of the El Niño phenomenon and the occurrence of pest and diseases caused the decline in corn production.
He said the drop in palay production was primarily caused by the reduction of area planted to rice and the mild dry spell.
During the first quarter of the year, the province's 10 towns and lone city were hit by a severe drought that eventually wiped out some P100 million worth of agricultural crops.
The province was even placed under the state of calamity last May.
From July to September, over P60 million worth of agricultural crops and infrastructure were also damaged due to flash floods caused by heavy rains.
Legaste said they are studying the area's climatic patterns to come up with a viable cropping pattern and cropping system, especially for palay and corn.
"We want to establish the proper time when to plant and when not to plant these major crops to avoid losses for our farmers," he said. (Allen V. Estabillo)
(November 28, 2005 issue)
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