THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is embarking on a large-scale propagation of high-yielding and pest-tolerant cassava varieties as part of efforts to develop additional production areas under a three-year program to meet local demand for the commodity.

The program, which is being administered by the DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Corn Program and the GMA High-Value Commercial Crops Program, will expand national cassava areas to 300,000 hectares and increase average yield per hectare to 15 metric tons (MT) from 8.93 in three years.

GMA Corn Program director and Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo assured that farmers will be able to link up with institutional buyers and processors such as San Miguel Corp. and have a ready market for their produce.

Cassava is not only a staple foodstuff as it can also be used as an alternative for feed meal for the swine and poultry industries and feedstock for bioethanol production.

This year the DA has allotted P15 million to open up 215,000 hectares of cassava farms that will produce 2.04 million tons estimated at P5.3 billion.

Among the cassava varieties that will be commercially propagated are the NSIC Cv22 (KU-50), Lakan I and Golden Yellow. Araullo said other varieties approved by the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC) would eventually be used.

Araullo said mass propagation of NSIC-registered varieties is under way in the DA’s 16 regional field units through their respective regional integrated agricultural research centers and regional outreach stations.

In 2007 the country produced 1.87 million metric tons of cassava worth P4.9 billion.  That same year, the Philippines exported 881 metric tons in various forms, including manioc, flour, meal and powder, valued at $1.2 million.

The country’s top cassava-producing regions are the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,  Northern Mindanao, Bicol, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.  In terms of provinces, the top producers are Maguindanao, Basilan, Bukidnon and Sulu.

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Government to embark on expansion of farmlands planted to cassava

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is embarking on a large-scale propagation of high-yielding and pest-tolerant cassava varieties as part of efforts to develop additional production areas under a three-year program to meet local demand for the commodity.

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