The Department of Agriculture (DA) has urged Congress to support its proposal to restore and expand the National Food Authority’s (NFA) powers to directly buy corn and rice from local farmers and cooperatives.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said this initiative is embedded in the proposed RICE Act bill filed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, which seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

Expanded role for NFA

The bill would reinstate the NFA’s authority not only to purchase palay but also milled rice and corn—crops critical to 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.”

Economic impact of corn

Data from the National Corn Program show yellow corn accounts for 46 percent of feed used in livestock and 62 percent in poultry. Currently, 2.5 million hectares are planted to corn, supporting 1.1 million Filipino farmers.

In 2024, the gross value added of corn reached P116.29 billion, second only to rice and ahead of coconut and sugar. Meanwhile, livestock and poultry contributed P319.48 billion and P142.06 billion, respectively.

Ensuring farmer support

Undersecretary for operations and agri-fisheries mechanization Roger Navarro stressed that NFA procurement during peak harvest periods—particularly in the wet season—is vital to ensuring fair prices for farmers.

Tiu Laurel also noted that empowering the NFA to buy rice milled through government-funded Rice Processing Systems (RPS) will strengthen 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. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma

Published Date: September 10, 2025