Modern corn seed plant in Rosales hailed
PANGASINAN SOON PH CORN SEED CAPITAL
ROSALES–Senator Cynthia Villar hailed the establishment of the US $10 million (P450 million) corn seed processing plant of India’s Prasad Seeds Philippines here and said it will help establish “Pangasinan as the corn seed capital of the country and the Philippines as corn seed hub in Southeast Asia”.
The senator said with the fast-approaching regional economic integration under ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), such vision as “good goals to pursue”.
Ms. Villar, chairman on the committee on agriculture and food in the Senate, was the guest of honor and speaker during the inauguration of the state-of-the-art corn seed processing plant in Barangay Salvacion, Rosales, and attended by India’s ambassador to the Philippines L.D. Ralte.
Quoting an earlier statement of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, the senator said the goals of Prasad Philippines are consistent with the trust of DA in increasing corn production and assuring the availability of quality seeds, especially in the event of natural calamities.
The senator acknowledged that besides high cost of capital it is lack of mechanization that drives up labor costs which she identified as among the challenges that hinder the competitiveness of farmers.
“I am one with DA and companies like Prasad in finding ways and means as well as in pioneering technologies and innovations, in fast-tracking the growth and development of the agriculture sector,” she said.
This move, she added, will make the Filipino farmers in the long run the main beneficiaries as it will bring a more inclusive growth.
The facility has energy-efficient features that translate to fuel efficiency and power savings. Its drying technology consumes 20 percent less liquefied petroleum gas compared to existing dryers, and uses a blower and burner system that results in shorter drying time, thus reducing power consumption by 20 percent.
According to data from the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (PMFI), 1.8 million Filipinos rely on corn for livelihood, and 11 million people directly employed in corn plantations and indirectly in the corn-related industry. (Leonardo Micua)
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