Certified Inspiring Stories from Successful Hybrid Corn Farmers Mais Kaalaman Article for September 2011 Column By: Allan C. Nieves, National Agronomy Manager, Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines, Inc. Co-authored By: John Bacosa, Sales Executive-Panay Region, Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines, Inc. Published In: Manila Bulletin Agriculture Magazine September 2011 issue With a population estimated to reach 100 million a few years, the Philippines is concerned about how to feed a growing population. Experts say that the answer may lie in farming. According to the April 2011 report of the National Statistics Office, “workers in the agriculture sector accounted for the second largest industry group at 33.0 percent.” Many of them have inspiring stories to share that may encourage other Filipinos to join them in the agriculture industry, where they and many others believe that there is a bright future awaiting us. Florita Villanueva of Bagacay, San Dionesio, Iloilo has one such story. Once a plain housewife, she started farming over 5 years ago when she found great opportunities in planting yellow corn in their vacant farm lot. She chose to plant hybrid corn, primarily because the technology of planting hybrid yellow corn allows her to continue attending to the needs of her family as she farms. With her recent good harvest, she was able to renovate their house and make a down paymen on their newly acquired pickup truck. Not surprisingly, she is eager to plant yellow corn again this coming season using the same hybrid variety. Her story shows that nowadays, corn farming is much easier, unlike in the old days when crops demanded much labor: cutting grass andweeds that can hamper the growth of corn plants, checking the whole field for corn borers, and spraying to control these insects. But the current technology in corn farming makes these problems a thing of the past. Today, a number of hybrid corn seeds on the market Florita Villanueva of San Dionesio. addresses these farming problems. One such variety is Mais Kaalaman Article – September 2011 Page 1 of 2 P3482YR, one of the newest products of Pioneer Hi-Bred, Philippines. This breakthrough product was launched during the first planting season of 2010, and its major advantage over the other varieties is that it is already protected from harmful corn borers and can be sprayed directly with glyphosate to address weed problems. P3482YR can be planted in other regions with farm lots that are located in low to mid-elevations or locations that are less than 500 meters above sea level. Villanueva chose to plant this variety in 2.5 hectares in April 2010. Come harvest season, she harvested an average of 8 metric tons per hectare. Dionesio Suelo of Barangay Lanag, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, who also planted P3482YR in his 4-hectare farm in Iloilo last February 2011, achieved an average yield of 7 metric tons/hectare. This was his first foray into corn farming, and Suelo says he wishes he had known of P3482YR when he started farming. Suelo intends to rent another 3 hectares of corn farmland to expand his growing business, as he is confident that for his next harvest, he will make the kind of profit that will allow him to buy the things that he wanted since he got married. He believes that, had he remained an ordinary employee, his current prosperity would not have been possible, and says that if you want to reach your dreams, going into corn farming is a good idea. Mr. Dionisio Suelo of Barangay Lanag, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo Pioneer Hi-Bred is the leading producer and distributor of hybrid corn seeds in the country. It has extensive research facilities based in General Santos City and Tarlac City. For further information on this article, kindly send your inquiries to [email protected] or text us at TXTPioneer 0917-592-0040. Mais Kaalaman Article – September 2011 Page 2 of 2 .