Corn farmers vow hike in output this year

MANILA, Philippines – Corn farmers have committed to increase their production this year following Malacanang’s decision to increase the corn support price to P13 per kilogram and moves by Congress not to support a further extension of Executive Order 765 which would extend further the duty-free importation of feed wheat.

According to Philippine Maize Federation (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro, they are rallying all corn farmers   nationwide “to continue planting corn and believe in our product as we partake our share to stabilize supply and prices and thus guarantee our food security.”

Navarro said Philmaize is expressing “its heartfelt thanks to the government in its approval to increase price support for yellow corn to P13/kg.”

“The government has finally responded positively in this time of high farm input cost,” Navarro said.

Corn farmers had been discouraged from increasing their corn production as actual buying price dipped to as low as P7 per kilo as feed millers shifted to cheaper imported feed wheat.

Feed wheat is used by feed millers as an alternative raw material to corn in the production of animal feeds.

EO 765 had temporarily allowed the duty-free importation of feed wheat from January to June this year, primarily for the benefit of the local flour and bread industries which use food-grade feed wheat to manufacture flour.

Unfortunately, the same EO also effectively lowered the tariff for lower-grade feed wheat used to produce animal feeds.

While the local feedmilers, poultry and hog producers are lobbying for the further extension of EO 765, corn producers are urging the government to prioritize the interest of local corn growers.