THE Regional Board of Investment in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-Barmm) has approved a P515 million worth modern corn plantation investment in Maguindanao.
Eshan Karl Mabang, RBOI-Barmm executive director, said Saturday, September 28, the plantation will be established in Kabingi village, Datu Saudi Ampatuan (DSA), by the Maguindanao Corn Development (MCD)–DSA I Corporation, a 100-percent Filipino-owned agri-based company.
Mabang said the initial phase of the corn production project will be at 2,000 hectares per module, which is estimated to produce around 32,000 metric tons of yellow corn with two cropping annually.
He said its initial operation is expected to generate 280 employments and will increase as the project expands to 20,000 hectares in five years.
Mabang said the MCD-DSA I Corp will be the first to modernize corn production in the Barmm by using total farming solutions through efficient management and the operation of precision planting technology.
He said aside from the farmers earning from the corn produce, they will also benefit from the transfer of technologies and technical know-how particularly the precision farming protocol.
“Most of MCD’s farming methods will be mechanized and technologically advanced,” he added.
Sukarno Baraguir, one of the governors of RBOI-BARMM said the presence of the project in a less developed area like Datu Saudi Ampatuan Dwill be a good opportunity to expose the host communities to modern and sustainable farming.
Baraguir said the project will also empower the farmers aside from stimulating growth. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)