THE National Food Authority (NFA) is eyeing the possible procurement of corn from local farmers by 2026, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said yesterday.
Lacson said in the beginning, the initiative will be implemented in selected areas.
“It’s just a pilot next year once we have a budget. Selected areas first since we haven’t had corn procurement activity for a long time,” he told reporters in a text message.
This plan was initially announced by the Department of Agriculture last January.
It was reiterated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the “Ugnayan with Farmers” forum in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija earlier in the day.
“The NFA will also start buying corn. We’re really going back to the original role of the NFA, which is rice and corn. That price should ensure a decent livelihood for our farmers,” Marcos said.
“We will make sure that our farmers have a better livelihood — not constantly struggling and not always left guessing what needs to be done to improve their harvest,” he added.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported last February that the country’s local corn stockpile in the first month of the year stood at 328,400 metric tons, down by 45 percent from a year ago.
This record was also 40.1 percent lower than the level in December. (Luisa Cabato © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
