The late planting of corn in at least 5,000 hectares of farmland is expected to result in lower corn feed stocks and higher prices in the first three months of 2008, said Edwin Paningbatan, regional corn program coordinator of the DA.

The delay in production would reduce the expected first quarter output of 103,577 metric tons by at least 25,000 MT, he said.

Frequent and heavy rains in the corn-producing provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Aurora caused farmers to postpone planting, Paningbatan said.

It was reported that the crops had been planted in some 10,000 hectares as of last week.

The DA gave no estimates of price increases in the next few months. A kilogram of whole kernel fetched P13 as of Nov. 28.

A number of farmers also deferred planting in 2006 and what tided the poultry and livestock industry in the region was the use of feed wheat, an imported substitute.