Cebu Farmers Bet Big on Yellow Corn as Government Seeks Revival

Antonio Mingo, a 56-year-old sugarcane laborer, has left his job to cultivate yellow corn in Cebu's Medellin town. He tills a one-hectare former sugarcane field with government-provided hybrid seeds but pays for fertilizer, pesticides, and labor himself.

Mingo expects P40,000 from the first harvest in September, but his expenses could reach over P20,000, leaving him little profit. To reduce costs, he sells young corn, which can be harvested in 65 days, to buyers who transport it themselves.

The Provincial Government sees yellow corn as a way to revive former sugarcane lands after the closure of Bogo-Medellin Milling Company Inc. (Bomedco). Cebu's corn production rose by 45.21% in 2025, but yellow corn accounts for only 6% of total output.

Farmers like Mingo face risks such as crop losses due to weather and high input costs. Alfonso 'Al' Lim, president of the Bogo-Medellin Sugarcane Planters Association Inc., says corn is not a reliable alternative to sugarcane.