PASIG CITY — In response to the Department of Agriculture’s “Plant, Plant, Plant” program, leading pure-play agriculture company Corteva Agriscience distributed rice and corn seeds to 2,000 farmers across the Philippines.
This contribution of seeds should result in approximately P80 million gross revenue for rural farming communities and additional yields of up to 3,750 metric tons of corn and 1,800 metric tons of rice, which will help to feed an additional 20,000 people.
Mr. Arun Mittal, Corteva Agriscience Country Director for the Philippines, said, “At this crucial time, we need to avoid a food crisis by ensuring the continuity of the food supply chain. As our health officials lead the fight against COVID-19, we see it as our duty as a leading agriculture company to support the fight against the threat of hunger.”
Since the Enhanced Community Quarantine, which commenced in mid-March, Corteva has worked diligently to ensure safe and continuous operations of its Luzon and Mindanao facilities, including its research and development stations. These facilities continue to supply high-quality hybrid rice and corn seeds to Filipino farmers. Critically, in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture, Corteva was able to ensure unhampered movement across the country to help farmers have continued reliable access to seed and crop protection products.
Corteva’s additional logistical support to its channel collaborators and farmers has meant customers in the value chain are receiving the products they need right at their doorsteps. Continuous learning and education programs are also available by Corteva through its Corteva AgriBida educational group on Facebook and through its official Facebook page for the Philippines.
The distribution of free seeds is just one of the company’s many initiatives to address food security for the nation. The Global Food Security Index identified improvements in the quality and availability of agricultural technology and initiatives which help farmers grow more high-quality crops as keys to improving food security and stabilizing food production in the Philippines. In support of this need, Corteva joined forces with the Department of Agriculture in October last year to establish 80 Educational Farms (EduFarms), across 40 municipalities covering 50,000 hectares. The EduFarm training centers provide farmer leaders with season-long field and in-classroom training. Topics covered range from land and seed preparation to marketing and financial management. Information on new seed preparation and crop protection technologies are also shared. Farmers involved in the EduFarms are anticipated to deliver an additional 50,000 metric tons of rice and 18,500 metric tons of corn to agriculture GDP across four seasons.
The company is also reaching out to support communities close to its EduFarm facilities. “Corteva Agriscience’s EduFarms routinely take a special interest in the farming communities close to our sites. For instance, at the start of this pandemic, we carried out several activities to increase planting areas and production yield,” explained Mr. Mittal.
“In the coming days, Corteva Agriscience will further our cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and identify areas where we can continue working together to address food security challenges,” he added.