Cagayan Valley Farmers to Benefit from Bioethanol Production

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. recently spoke at the 19th Regional Corn Congress in Isabela, highlighting the potential benefits of using excess yellow corn to produce bioethanol for Cagayan Valley farmers.

The region is one of the country's primary corn growers, with an estimated total production of 1,952,849 metric tons in 2025, slightly lower than the previous year's 1,956,156 metric tons. The varieties of corn grown in the area provide for both human consumption and animal feedstock.

Laurel stated that using corn as a feedstock for bioethanol production would supplement molasses and sugarcane juice from the sugar industry, which are currently used to generate bioethanol. This form of biofuel is distilled alcohol produced from fermented sugar cane or corn starch mixed with conventional fuel.