Corn post-production systems in the Philippines

The development of the corn industry depends not only on the expansion of its production but also on improving its processing and marketing aspects. An effective and efficient processing-marketing system is one that induces the optimal production and processing of corn which results to maximum profit. The current corn post production pratices in the Philippines are very traditional and inefficient. The mature corn is gathered by hand. The harvested ears are stripped of their husks and then shelled manually, some mechanically. The shelled corn is dried in open spaces, mostly in the highways. Mechanical dryers are seldom used. The dried corn is cleaned, and then stored (in bags or in bulk) in warehouses or small silos. The dried and cleaned corn is ready for sale or for further processing. Only a small portion (less than 1%) of the produce is left in the farm. The major post harvest problem is drying, particularly for the wet season harvest. Corn is predisposed to mold infection, and subsequently toxic contamination. Aflatoxin contaminated corn used as feeds is lethal to poultry, stunts growth of swine, and is carcinogenic to humans when used as food. The only known aflatoxin control measure is immediate drying and keeping the corn dry to prevent mold growth. There is a lot of room for improving the corn post-production systems in the Philippines in terms of business and technical performance efficiencies. The local engineering designers and manufacturers of grain dryers, shellers and corn mills should be brought into the government's postharvest institutional development program. The components should be standardized for complementation and mass production. A network of after sales services must be provided by manufacturers and dealers, and be made part of supply contracts. A concept corn processing plant was developed for the GMA corn program covering 400 hectares. Specifications and costs were presented. This kind of project, when supported, should be provided with enough operating capital, and strengthened with a set of systems and procedures. This project can also produce other potential economic benefits to include employment generation, income and other multiplier effects. The emergence of the project at various stages is expected to create more job opportunities notwithstanding the additional revenue created due to the corn production expansion. The post harvest losses that are avoided also add to the income generation and provide more efficiency in the corn industry. The expansion generated by the project can also lead to the development of corn-related downstream industries resulting into heavy multiplier effects in the Philippines