The National Food Authority (NFA) is exploring the possibility of purchasing corn to assist local farmers who are grappling with falling farmgate prices, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). This initiative comes as a response to the challenges faced by corn farmers in the current market conditions. The DA announced on Thursday that the NFA is looking into ways to incorporate corn procurement into its activities for 2025, despite it not being part of the original plan. The NFA’s budget for 2025, as outlined in the General Appropriations Act, allocates PHP9 billion solely for the procurement of palay for the national rice buffer stock. However, the NFA is considering the use of unprogrammed funds to facilitate corn purchases this year. Looking ahead, the NFA plans to include a budget for corn procurement in its 2026 proposal. During a recent House Quinta Committee hearing, lawmakers urged the NFA to buy at least 800,000 metric tons of local corn at PHP17 per kilogram, citing the decreased demand in the swine sector due to African swine fever. The industry has reported corn prices dropping to as low as PHP12 per kilo, a significant decline from the usual range of PHP18/kg to PHP21/kg, with production costs between PHP10/kg and PHP12/kg. While the study on corn procurement is ongoing, the DA is prepared to support corn farmers through the provision of seedlings, fertilizers, machinery, and credit assistance. The importance of robust local corn production is emphasized, especially given its high demand in the poultry sector, which has seen a 6 percent increase according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. The country has 1.4 million corn farmers, primarily located in Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, and Soccsksargen.
NFA Considers Buying Corn to Support Farmers Facing Low Prices
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