‘Corn farmers risk losing P12 billion from import quota hike’

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June 16, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Local corn farmers may risk losing up to P12 billion as the government considers expanding the import quota for corn, a farmers group said.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) said the Department of Agriculture’s proposal to set the minimum access volume (MAV) for corn at 500,000 metric tons (MT) could drop corn farmgate prices by P1.7 per kilo.

“While this would have minimal benefits to consumers, corn farmers would suffer up to P12 billion in annual losses if farmgate prices fall by P1.7 per kilo,” FFF national manager Raul Montemayor told The STAR.

He added that cheaper imported corn under MAV forces local buyers to match the lower price, translating to lower income for corn growers.

He said that corn imported under the MAV could be cheaper by P1.7, which could drive traders to match the import price and possibly reduce their farmgate buying price for corn by the same amount in order to compete.

Montemayor added that the increase in import quota could translate to an equal reduction in the production cost of broiler chicken.

“Assuming the savings on import duties would be passed on in full to consumers, retail prices of chicken would go down by less than one percent,” he said.

However, he warned that savings from reduced import duties could still be pocketed by feed millers and processors to cut their own costs, noting that steps must be taken to ensure that the additional MAV will result in “perceptible benefits to consumers.”

The DA has proposed to increase the MAV for corn from the current 216,940 MT quota to cushion feed costs for livestock and poultry farmers.

Imports within the MAV quota are levied a five percent tariff, while those outside the quota are imposed with a 15 percent tariff.

The country produced 8.14 million MT of corn in 2025, lower compared to the 8.32 million MT a year prior, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.