Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the proposal is part of the amendments the DA envisages for the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) under the new RICE Act bill filed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

 

The bill seeks to reestablish the NFA's authority not only to purchase palay, but also milled rice and corn—a critical crop for both human consumption and livestock feed.

 

"Corn is not just a rice substitute in the Visayas and Mindanao, it is the backbone of the country's feed production for our poultry and livestock sectors," said Tiu Laurel. "These sectors are central to the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of a food-secure Philippines."

 

Yellow corn accounts for 46 % of feed used in livestock and 62 % in poultry, based on National Corn Program data. Yet, only 2.5 million hectares are planted to corn, supporting over 1.1 million Filipino farmers.

 

Gross value added of corn in 2024, based on current prices from the Philippine Stock Exchange data, reached ₱116.29 billion (US$2.03 billion)—second only to rice and ahead of coconut and sugar—while livestock and poultry were valued at ₱319.48 billion (US$5.59 billion) and ₱142.06 billion (US$2.48 billion), respectively.

 

Undersecretary for Operations and Agri-Fisheries Mechanization Roger Navarro emphasised that the National Food Authority's procurement of palay—and potentially corn—is vital during peak harvest periods, particularly in the wet season, to guarantee fair prices for farmers.

 

Tiu Laurel added that empowering the NFA to buy rice milled through government-funded Rice Processing Systems (RPS) will ensure sustainability and provide market assurance for cooperative members. "We must make these multi-million-peso facilities work for the farmers they were meant to serve," he said.