PHL’s 1st industrial corn complex seen curbing post-harvest losses

A NEWLY opened industrial corn facility in Ilagan City, Isabela is expected to strengthen the province’s role in the corn value chain and help farmers minimize post-harvest losses, especially during the wet season, according to the city agriculture office.

The Industrial Corn (I-Corn) Complex, which became operational last month, provides drying and post-harvest services to about 17,000 maize growers in Ilagan City.

According to the City Agriculture Office, the complex is the first public facility of its kind in the country. It was built in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the city government, which provided the five-hectare site and land development services.

The I-Corn Complex forms part of a P250-million DA project, with its first phase, worth P107 million, now operating eight dryers with a total capacity of 120 metric tons (MT) a day.

City agriculturist Moises C. Alamo told reporters that the project is designed to support farmers in maintaining grain quality and addressing the lack of drying facilities, a common challenge during the wet season.

“Some farmers harvest late, sometimes not until November, due to a shortage of manpower or machinery, especially in hilly areas where combine harvesters cannot operate. By those months, rainfall is usually heavy, and the moisture damages the quality of the corn,” he said.

Mr. Alamo said timely drying is crucial to prevent the buildup of aflatoxin, which develops when wet corn is stored for too long.

“If aflatoxin levels are high, the corn can no longer be used as animal feed because it becomes toxic. That’s why we make sure to protect the quality of our corn. The lower the quality, the lower the price in the market,” he said.

The City Agriculture Office said the second phase of the project will include a warehouse and feed mill to supply livestock growers. A 500-MT silo for feed storage has been built in preparation for these operations.

“I hope the release of funds will be expedited so that by 2026 the feed mill can be constructed to meet the livestock feed requirements,” Mr. Alamo said.

He added his office also hopes that similar drying and post-harvest facilities be built for other corn-producing areas in the region.

Ilagan City is the largest corn producer in Isabela. The city accounts for roughly 2%, or over 150,000 MT, of the country’s annual total corn production. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel