CORN farmers in the municipalities of Sierra Bullones, Sagbayan and Valencia in Bohol need not worry about drying their harvest especially during the rainy season.
This after the three municipalities received a grant of P3 million each from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the establishment of a corn processing center.
The processing center is equipped with a corn cob dryer, corn grain drier and a corn sheller.
Emma Tayad, chief of the feed laboratory of DA Central Visayas, said the equipment will improve corn quality and lessen aflatoxin incidence. Corn moisture hastens the development of aflatoxin, which can cause cancer and could lower the price of corn.
Local buyers prefer a 14 percent moisture content in corn — a condition that can only be achieved with proper drying practices and equipment.
Data revealed that as much as 13 percent of wastage is caused by post-harvest mishandling such as wrong drying procedures like drying on the roadside.