The government said it is now studying the feasibility of giving its go signal through a declaration that there is a surplus of yellow corn.

 

Roger Navarro, president of the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) said corn prices are now more expensive at US$8.20 per bushel

.

Navarro said they have again requested the Department of Agriculture (DA) to consider their plan of exporting yellow corn to neighbouring Asian countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan.

 

National Food Authority Administrator (NFA) Angelito Banayo said that under Presidential Decree (PD)   4, corn farmers cannot export unless the NFA council certifies that there is a surplus. Rice and corn are considered staple crops in the Philippines.

 

The inter-agency NFA council is chaired by Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala while Banayo sits as vice chairman.

 

The technical working group consists of government officials and representatives from the private sector.

 

Roderico R. Bioco, chairman emeritus of Philmaize, said, however, that Republic Act  8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, effectively liberalized corn trade.  He said while the government allowed the importation of 1.4 million tons of feed wheat this year and this had an impact on the domestic price of corn, why then the country can't be allowed to export corn to benefit from good prices abroad.

 

He said Vietnam will be "more than willing" to buy corn from the Philippines.  Even China, he said, is a possible market f

or Philippine corn.

 

The Bureau of Agricutural Statistics projected that second semester production of corn may reach 3.99 million tonnes, based on third-quarter standing crop and the farmers' planting intentions for the fourth quarter.