The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging Congress to restore the National Food Authority’s (NFA) mandate to purchase milled rice and corn directly from local producers as part of proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Tuesday that enabling the NFA to buy milled rice processed through government-funded rice processing systems would ensure sustainability and secure markets for farmer cooperatives. “We must make these multi-million-peso facilities work for the farmers they were meant to serve,” he emphasized.
The DA is also advocating for NFA authority to procure local corn, citing its importance in both human consumption and as a key feed ingredient. “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.
According to DA data, yellow corn comprises 46 percent of livestock feed and 62 percent of poultry feed, supporting over 1.1 million farmers across 2.5 million hectares. In 2024, corn’s gross value added hit ₱116.29 billion, second only to rice.
DA undersecretary Roger Navarro added that expanded NFA procurement, especially during peak harvest seasons, is crucial to stabilize farmgate prices and protect farmer incomes.
These proposed changes are included in the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment Act, backed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The 2018 RTL liberalized rice importation and limited NFA’s role to maintaining a 15-day emergency rice buffer stock, sourced solely from local palay. While recent amendments extended the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) until 2031 and tripled its budget to ₱30 billion, the NFA remains restricted from importing or directly selling rice.
