The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pressing Congress to restore and broaden the National Food Authority’s (NFA) grain-buying powers, positioning the agency as a key player in securing the nation’s food supply.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the proposal forms part of amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) under the new RICE Act bill filed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The measure seeks to reestablish the NFA’s authority to procure not just palay but also milled rice and corn, which he said are vital both for food consumption and as feed for the livestock and poultry industries.
“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. These sectors are central to the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of a food-secure Philippines,” Tiu Laurel said.
Data from the National Corn Program show that yellow corn accounts for 46 percent of feed used in livestock and 62 percent in poultry. Yet, only 2.5 million hectares are planted to corn, sustaining more than 1.1 million farmers nationwide.
In 2024, the corn industry posted a gross value added of P116.29 billion at current prices—second only to rice and ahead of coconut and sugar—while livestock and poultry were valued at P319.48 billion and P142.06 billion, respectively, based on Philippine Stock Exchange data.
DA Undersecretary for Operations and Agri-Fisheries Mechanization Roger Navarro stressed that NFA procurement of palay, and potentially corn, would be crucial during peak harvests, especially in the wet season, to guarantee fair prices for farmers.
Tiu Laurel added that enabling the NFA to buy rice milled through government-funded Rice Processing Systems (RPS) will help ensure long-term sustainability and market assurance for farmer cooperatives.
