(May 14, 2010)Being always open to new farming technologies and picking up from the lessons and experiences of other productive corn farmers have primarily guided the quest of Mr. Jaime L. Calumpit to obtaining the honor of being the country’s Most Outstanding Quality Corn Farmer in 2009.

The intrepid corn raiser from Ifugao province and seven regional outstanding quality corn farmers were honored during the 4th National Aflatoxin Conference held last April 29, 2010 in Bohol province.

For two succeeding years since the search started, the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) have consistently bagged the national award, which pays tribute to productive corn farmers who have not only attained high yields but have managed to produce quality corn grains with zero or very low aflatoxin levels.

The annual search is in keeping with the imperative of DA to make the corn industry globally competitive through the Philippine National Standard (PNS) Code of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for corn.

The Code of GAP for Corn is a set of consolidated safety and quality standards for the production, harvesting and on-farm postharvest handling, and storage of corn that aims to provide safe and high quality corn to the industry players and to reduce the risk of pesticide and aflatoxin contamination. It consists of recommendations and available knowledge to address environmental, economic, and social sustainability with emphasis on six key areas such as farm location, farm environment, farm structure and facility maintenance, farm practices, workers' health and safety, and farm management.

GMA-Corn Program Director and DA Asst. Sec. Dennis B. Araullo and BAFPS Director Gilbert E. Layese led the recognition and awarding rites for Mr. Calumpit and the regional outstanding quality corn farmers, namely; Maximo R. Rabanal (DA-RFU 1), Felicisima G. de los Santos (DA-RFU 2), Indalencio S. Supan (DA-RFU 3), Renato J. Alcantara (DA-RFU 4-A), Adelaida V. Paulite (DA-RFU 5), Eleuterio P. Fanilag (DA-RFU 9), Grace E. Buenaflor (DA-RFU 12).

The National awardee received a plaque of recognition and cash prize of seventy-five thousand pesos while each of the regional winners also received a plague and cash award of forty-thousand pesos. Asst. Sec. Araullo and Director Layese were assisted by the Regional Executive Director of host region 7, Dir. Ricardo D. Oblena, Regional Technical Director for Operations Angel C. Enriquez, and Dr. Candido B. Damo and Edna T. Begino of the National Technical Working Group on Corn Quality Management, who spearheaded the process of selecting the winners.

BAFPS also awarded ELISA readers and aflatoxin kits to the regions of CAR, CARAGA, IX, VIII, and NCR-BAI through the respective regional BAFPS coordinators. Director Layese announced that starting in 2010, the search for most outstanding quality corn farmer will be included as one of the categories in the annual GAWAD SAKA Awards. ### (Grace Dagala/RAFID 7)

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