Corn shortage looms Philippine exporters on El Nino

The Philippine Federation of Grains Association (PFGA) on Wednesday (Feb 24) warned of a possible shortage of corn as a prolonged dry spell brought on by the El Nino phenomenon is affecting corn crops in the country.

PFGA president Joji Co urged the government to start importing corn products, including those used as animal feeds to help the animal industry in the country.

Co allayed fears of a looming rice supply crisis in the country, saying that rice farmers in Isabela province were still unaffected by the drought being felt in Northern Luzon.

Co said that the government, through the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority, has prepared in advance for the drought through early procurement of imported rice.

Isabela province, which has placed under a state of calamity, is only one of the 14 provinces in Luzon and the Visayas with the most number of farmlands affected by the El Niño.

The others were Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Northern Luzon; Bulacan and Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon; Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon in the Southern Tagalog area; Masbate in Bicol; and Antique, Guimaras and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas.