LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Gov. Ramon V. Guico III’s innovative program, the Pangasinan Corporate Farming Program, has made significant strides in expanding the agricultural productivity of local farmers since its introduction in 2022.
Since it was started in 2022, the project now covers a total area of 1,272.47 hectares from the initial area of about 418 hectares, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) reported.
Provincial agriculturist Dalisay Moya reported that yield has increased since the dry season from 2022–2023. About 66.03 hectares were planted, which resulted in a yield of 4.93 metric tons per hectare.
The total yield in the next dry season, 2023 – 2024, which covered 418.44 hectares, went up to 5.10 metric tons per hectare.
On the other hand, during the wet season in 2024, a total of 633.40 hectares was planted and yields are expected to be robust and potentially increase in production, the OPAg said.
The OPAg said that 54 farmer-cooperative associations, which have a total of 1,448 individual farmer members, benefited from the program.
In addition, the program provided input support to farmer-beneficiaries in which 5,057 bags of organic fertilizer were distributed. Also, some 9,668 bags of inorganic fertilizer were given to enhance yield and soil health.
During the dry cropping season of 2023-2024, palay harvest posted an increase of about 13.59 percent, which translates to 12 cavans per hectare increase from the previous dry season of 2022-2023.
The OPAg said that farmer cooperators can now enjoy an increased average yield per hectare of 4.49 metric tons or 90 cavans. This would translate to more income which the OPAg pegs an average increase of 101.33 percent for each farmer or an additional P35,030.00 net income per hectare.
On corn production, a total of 740 metric tons were produced under the program in 2024 up by 18.88 percent to 32.56 percent or 6.23 metric tons to 9.177 metric tons from the previous year.
On top of that, production cost has been reduced by as much as P9,722.00 per hectare.
Meanwhile, Moya said under the corporate program, farmer members undergo class and technical training on the control and management of pests, specifically army worms.
Farmers are also trained on the latest pest and disease management methods, she said.
“The simple story about corporate farming is that because it is more cost-efficient, higher yield per hectare is achieved with lower cost of production,” said Gov. Guico in an earlier interview.
He further said that he is setting his sights on transforming agriculture into a sustainable economic enterprise through the so-called convergence approach among farmer cooperatives and associations, local government units (LGUs), national agencies and other line entities, the private sector, and financial institutions.
Major projects under the program outlined by the governor are rice production, corn production, high-value crop production, and fishery production.
(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)
