DA implementing 5-year cassava self-sufficiency plan
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is carrying out a five-year program to double the area planted to cassava to more than 500,000 hectares in line with its goal of attaining 100% self-sufficiency for the feed ingredient and meeting the full requirements of the cassava industry.
DA Assistant Secretary Dennis B. Araullo said that under the plan, the department is targeting to increase cassava production from 1.941 million metric tons in 2008 to 10.477 million MT by 2014, which is the estimated requirement of the industry by that period.
Cassava, which can substitute as much as 20% of corn in feeds, is also used for bioethanol production and for human consumption.
Araullo, who is the national coordinator of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Corn Program, said the government needs to spend P26 million to P70 million per year until 2014 to reach this target of 100% sufficiency and increase areas planted to 500,000 hectares from the 230,000-hectare target in 2009.
In Western Visayas, DA has six Research Outreach Station (ROS) on cassava alone. The pilot is the ROS in Sigma Capiz, while the others are in Astorga and Dumarao also in Capiz; Patnugon in Antique, and two in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. These ROS in cassava are two hectares – one for ratooning rejuvenation, and one for expansion. This was disclosed by Regional Corn Coordinator of Western Visays, Ricardo Saltin.
He said that DA6 is in its second year of cassava research and expansion. He also added that there are enough seeds and materials on cassava in the region. He urges farmers to take advantage of DA’s program on cassava as alternative feeds for livestock, aside from corn.