THE Central Luzon Department of Agriculture (DA) monitored a maize selected to be the Corn Model Farm in Mabalacat recently.
The inspection was led by Corn Banner Program Coordinator Adela Peñalba and Office of the Provincial Agriculturist District I Corn and Cassava Coordinator Reynaldo Sarmiento.
The said program was started in October 2019 and aims to increase and obtain good quality yellow corn harvest, reduce production cost using farm mechanization and other interventions.
Part of the program is the distribution of free seeds, fertilizers and technical assistance to 12 farmer cooperatives. In fact, the DA has provided two bags/ha of seed, five bags/ha of urea (46-0-0), four bags of complete fertilizer (14-14-14), two bags of potash and 10 bags of organic fertilizer per 50 hectares of Corn Model Farms.
Reynaldo Sarmiento shared his observation on this plantation, saying: "We can clearly see the difference in the part of this maize that has adapted the program's interventions from land preparation to care and maintenance compared to ordinary fields."
Corn owner Jayson David is very grateful for the said program. “This is a big help to us because our costs have been reduced. I am confident that the fruit will be good because the DA has provided good variety.”
Adela Peñalba shared the qualifications to participate in the Corn Model Farm Program. According to him, the first and most important qualification is registration in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). The model farm is required to be on 50 to 100 hectares covered by 30-50 kilometers of cluster areas.
He also added that the land area should be flat or even so that the irrigation flow is better. It is also important that the plantation is accessible to more easily apply the interventions or technologies that are part of the program.