The Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc. said Tuesday its members bought 133,500 metric tons of local corn from growers in Isabela, Bukidnon, General Santos, Iloilo, Davao and other provinces, encouraged by the bumper harvest and the good quality of this cropping season’s produce.
Some 17 members of PAFMI reported purchasing the corn in August and September this year. August and September are peak harvest months for the wet-season corn crop. The dry season harvest is in March and April.
PAFMI is the largest organization of feed millers in the country with 33 member companies spread all over the country. Agriculture Secretary William Dar is encouraging the feed milling industry to buy more local corn as an incentive for farmers to produce more of the feed stuff.
The Department of Agriculture and PAFMI are set to sign an agreement on corn and soybeans contract growing in select provinces. The MOA seeks to assure local farmers of a market for their produce, with technical assistance from DA and PAFMI providing the market, according to PAFMI president Nicole Sarmiento Garcia.
Isabela province has good-quality harvest of low-moisture, less damaged kernels and low aflatoxin levels. PAFMI members bought 54,500 MT of Isabela corn.
Other areas which sold corn to PAFMI are Bukidnon, with 6,480 MT; General Santos City, 3,000 MT; Iloilo, 1,300 MT; and Davao, 3,000 MT. Some companies reported purchases totaling 54,300 MT from an undisclosed provincial source because of competition.
While deliveries in Luzon were relatively unhampered, distribution in Visayas and Mindanao experienced weather-related delays. Frequent rains slowed down deliveries and some corn stocks were exposed to moisture, causing quality concerns. Rain and thunderstorms are expected in Northern Mindanao, including Bukidnon province in the next 14 days.
The Philippines harvests 5.6 million MT of yellow corn for animal feed use, short of the national requirement of nearly 10 million MT. The gap is filled with feed wheat and corn from ASEAN countries.
PAFMI is the biggest and oldest group of feed millers in the country with 33 members including San Miguel Corp., Philippine Foremost Milling Company, Pilmico Foods Corp., Universal Robina Corp. and General Milling Corp.
Sarmiento-Garcia was elected president of PAFMI in February this year. She is also the executive vice president of Vitarich Corp., one of the first integrated feed milling companies and a founding member of PAFMI.
