WITH her term ending on June 30, 2025, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has urged northern Cebu farmers to fully adopt her Sugbo Maisan program, which promotes mechanized corn farming and secures a stable market for yellow corn.
During a meeting with 130 farmers and Bogo City officials on Wednesday, June 18, Garcia emphasized the importance of shifting to yellow corn, especially as sugarcane farming declines following the closure of a nearby milling firm.
Under Sugbo Maisan, local government units (LGUs) are tasked with overseeing their own corn initiatives — handling machinery rentals, facilitating loan applications and directly purchasing produce from farmers.
Warning
Garcia warned that the incoming administration might not prioritize the program and called on LGUs, especially in northern Cebu, to continue supporting it.
Through the program, farmers will access tractors for every stage of cultivation via LGU-managed rentals. Only registered farmers and recognized associations will be eligible for these benefits. Registration will be handled by municipal and city agriculturists.
Financing support is also available as farmers may apply for loans with two percent interest from the Land Bank of the Philippines, or zero interest from the Cooperative Bank of Cebu, under the Enhanced Countryside Development Program. The loans will fund seed and fertilizer purchases.
After harvest, LGUs will purchase wet corn directly from farmers at a targeted rate of P15 per kilo, compared to the current P8 per kilo, ensuring prompt income and eliminating the need for drying or sourcing buyers.
With new farming methods and drying facilities, yields could jump from one-three metric tons per hectare to as much as 10.
Buyers
Corn will then be sold to institutional buyers like Prifoods Corp., Universal Feed Mill Corp., San Miguel Foods Corp., Vienovo Philippines Inc., General Milling Corp., Pilmico Feeds and the Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative, which rely on yellow corn for feed production.
Garcia also assured that a trust fund and seed capital will support timely farmer payments. The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, will cover crop losses caused by typhoons and other natural events.
In 2023, the program enabled sugarcane farmers in Medellin to successfully shift to corn farming. A P5.9 million corn-drying facility with four 15-ton dryers is under construction in the town. / EHP