The City Agriculturist Office, in cooperation with Sygenta Seeds, is in the process of giving financial assistance to farmers who intend to produce corn. This financial help will be used to defray the cost of labor and the purchase of inputs like fertilizers and insecticides.
Part of the agreement is for Sygenta to buy all the corn produced by these farmers, even if the plant is still intact with the corn cobs, and even if the corn still has 30% moisture content. A guaranteed price of P16.00 per kilo is being offered by Sygenta.
City Agriculturist, Mr. Oscar Recta, is very hopeful that this project will be successful. He is targeting 400 hectares for this purpose and after a rigorous review of the Memorandum of Agreement with Sygenta Seeds, the project will kick off today, October 15, 2010.
In line with the City Agriculturist’s drive to improve corn and rice production in the city, his office is in the process of evaluating 21 sites of five hectare clusters to determine what variety of hybrid rice seed will produce the highest production per hectare. So far, after three sites have been evaluated, the highest yielder is Arize Bigante.
Mr. Recta promised to closely monitor the project and to give periodic updates to the people of Laoag City.
