January 6, 2009

Philippine corn growers are optimistic of corn self-sufficiency this year if the government provides accurate policy moves to encourage local corn farmers to continue increasing their productivity.

Philippine Maize Federation (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro said the "government must send a strong message of truly helping and rewarding our local farmers who were able to supply the local demand at the height of the P20 per kilogram international price of corn even while the local price of corn was just P10 per kilogram and there was a spike in fertilizer prices."

In 2008, Navarro said local corn farmers were able to supply 94 percent of the requirement.

He added that local corn farmers should be encouraged "to plant at this time when international commodity prices are going down."

Commodity prices are not expected to increase until the latter part of 2009, hence, increasing productivity level is needed to achieve "100 percent sufficiency".

To achieve this Navarro said, "we… need government to be consistent in policy support."

Biofuels have jacked up previously cheaper imported corn prices, making local corn now more competitive.

But corn growers received a setback recently when the government decided to temporarily remove for six months the tariff on feedwheat, a substitute for corn in feed manufacturing.

Although Philmaize's initial request for the exclusion of feedwheat from the tariff removal has been rejected by Malacañang, Navarro reiterated the need for government policy support for such tariff removal or reduction.

Revised corn production for 2008 is projected at only 6.947 million tonnes from the earlier targeted 7.37 million tonnes.