PRESS RELEASE No. 6
SAN AGUSTIN, PILI, CAMARINES SUR – To introduce new crops and revitalize Bicol’s corn and cassava industries, the Department of Agriculture in Bicol convened various stakeholders for corn, cassava, soybean, and sorghum at the DA compound on January 31, 2023.
Present during the meeting were Jojo Elvira, President of the Corn Board; Engr. Raymond Britanico of San Miguel Foods Corporation Inc. (SMFI); Jonah Pimentel, Treasurer of Bicol Corn Board; Robinson Riveral, Chairman of Tuburan United Farmers Cooperative of Masbate; representatives from feed millers; Superintendents of DA Research Outreach Stations, and other DA Officials. Also in attendance through the online platform were the representatives of the different Local Government Units.
Newly designated Regional Corn Program focal person, Engr. Amabel N. Bombase introduced the new priority crops under the Corn and Cassava Program – the Sorghum and Soybean. She emphasized that with the active support of the stakeholders for Corn, Cassava, Sorghum, and Soybean, the program will attain its primary goal of boosting the production and market of these commodities. She presented the industry situationer in Bicol which has a huge demand for sorghum and soybean. Recommendations, issues, and concerns were raised during the meeting which are important inputs in the finalization of the Regional Action Plan for Sorghum and Soybean.
Sorghum is a versatile crop that can be grown as a grain, forage or sweet crop and is one of the top five cereal crops in the world. Various techno demo farms for sweet sorghum and grain sorghum were established in the region specifically at the Central Bicol Experiment Station in DA RFO 5 compound, at the Albay Experiment Station in Tabaco, Albay, Balud, Masbate and Caramoan, Camarines Sur. This year, a 1-hectare techno demo will be established in Nabongsoran, Aroroy, Masbate in October.
The DA is looking for farmers’ associations that are willing to plant sorghum and have a marketing agreement with potential buyers.
Meanwhile, Engr. Michelle Bergantin, the Assistant Regional Corn and Cassava Program Coordinator and the focal person for Sorghum, presented the 7-year Sorghum action plan and Kim Jonah Antioquia, the Corn and Cassava Program Report Officer and focal person for Soybean, presented the action plan for Soybean.
Another priority commodity under Corn Program is the soybean which is grown primarily as a source of oil and protein. Soybean is one of the richest and cheapest sources of protein and is a staple in the diets of people and animals in numerous parts of the world. It has a high protein content of 35-40% and improves the fertility of the soil because it adds nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil. Soybean is still a new commodity to the majority of the Bicolano Farmers. In 2022, DA conducted 3 techno demo trials in Camarines provinces and Sorsogon where Select Manchuria and Select Tudela Black varieties were planted.
Dr. Mary Grace DP. Rodriguez thanked the stakeholders for taking the time to attend the consultation and workshop. “We are glad that ‘all-star’ cast ang consultation because nandyan ang Corn Board, SMFI, the farmer leaders, LGUs, and the Superintendents of the DA ROSes,” she said.
RTD Luz R. Marcelino urges the DA ROSes to come up with drought-tolerant varieties of soybean as it is a good relay crop to corn. She added that sorghum can be planted after corn to replenish lost nutrients in the soil.
(Lovella P. Guarin / photo credit: Ramon Adversario, Jr.)
DA Bicol convenes corn, cassava, soybean and sorghum stakeholders
PRESS RELEASE No. 6
SAN AGUSTIN, PILI, CAMARINES SUR – To introduce new crops and revitalize Bicol’s corn and cassava industries, the Department of Agriculture in Bicol convened various stakeholders for corn, cassava, soybean, and sorghum at the DA compound on January 31, 2023.
Present during the meeting were Jojo Elvira, President of the Corn Board; Engr. Raymond Britanico of San Miguel Foods Corporation Inc. (SMFI); Jonah Pimentel, Treasurer of Bicol Corn Board; Robinson Riveral, Chairman of Tuburan United Farmers Cooperative of Masbate; representatives from feed millers; Superintendents of DA Research Outreach Stations, and other DA Officials. Also in attendance through the online platform were the representatives of the different Local Government Units.
Newly designated Regional Corn Program focal person, Engr. Amabel N. Bombase introduced the new priority crops under the Corn and Cassava Program – the Sorghum and Soybean. She emphasized that with the active support of the stakeholders for Corn, Cassava, Sorghum, and Soybean, the program will attain its primary goal of boosting the production and market of these commodities. She presented the industry situationer in Bicol which has a huge demand for sorghum and soybean. Recommendations, issues, and concerns were raised during the meeting which are important inputs in the finalization of the Regional Action Plan for Sorghum and Soybean.
Sorghum is a versatile crop that can be grown as a grain, forage or sweet crop and is one of the top five cereal crops in the world. Various techno demo farms for sweet sorghum and grain sorghum were established in the region specifically at the Central Bicol Experiment Station in DA RFO 5 compound, at the Albay Experiment Station in Tabaco, Albay, Balud, Masbate and Caramoan, Camarines Sur. This year, a 1-hectare techno demo will be established in Nabongsoran, Aroroy, Masbate in October.
The DA is looking for farmers’ associations that are willing to plant sorghum and have a marketing agreement with potential buyers.
Meanwhile, Engr. Michelle Bergantin, the Assistant Regional Corn and Cassava Program Coordinator and the focal person for Sorghum, presented the 7-year Sorghum action plan and Kim Jonah Antioquia, the Corn and Cassava Program Report Officer and focal person for Soybean, presented the action plan for Soybean.
Another priority commodity under Corn Program is the soybean which is grown primarily as a source of oil and protein. Soybean is one of the richest and cheapest sources of protein and is a staple in the diets of people and animals in numerous parts of the world. It has a high protein content of 35-40% and improves the fertility of the soil because it adds nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil. Soybean is still a new commodity to the majority of the Bicolano Farmers. In 2022, DA conducted 3 techno demo trials in Camarines provinces and Sorsogon where Select Manchuria and Select Tudela Black varieties were planted.
Dr. Mary Grace DP. Rodriguez thanked the stakeholders for taking the time to attend the consultation and workshop. “We are glad that ‘all-star’ cast ang consultation because nandyan ang Corn Board, SMFI, the farmer leaders, LGUs, and the Superintendents of the DA ROSes,” she said.
RTD Luz R. Marcelino urges the DA ROSes to come up with drought-tolerant varieties of soybean as it is a good relay crop to corn. She added that sorghum can be planted after corn to replenish lost nutrients in the soil.
(Lovella P. Guarin / photo credit: Ramon Adversario, Jr.)