To further develop and promote the country’s local corn industry, the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) National Sectoral Committee on Corn and Other Feed Crops (NSC on CFC) convened on July 14, 2023 to discuss the Senate Substitute Bill Enacting the National Corn Industry Development Act (CIDA).
The NSC on CFC called a special meeting to review and suggest revisions to the Senate Substitute Bill Enacting the CIDA and adopt a resolution endorsing the recommendation they have agreed.
The call to review the Substitute Bill emanated after the representative of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform (CAFAR) Chairperson, Atty. Rhaegee Tamaña and CAFAR Committee Secretary Atty. Philip Lina presided over the Committee Technical Working Group (TWG) on July 5.
The Senate Committee TWG discussed how to further improve and enhance Senate Bill No. (SBN) 120 also known as the Yellow Corn Industry Development Act of 2022, thus creating a Substitute Bill proposed as the National Corn Industry Development Act.
In 2022, CAFAR Chairperson, Sen. Cynthia Villar, first presented the Bill and articulated that the Senate Bill on CIDA will enable the development and competitiveness of the corn industry and will encourage the increase in production of corn and affordable feeds for the livestock and poultry sector.
She also added that realizing these goals are possible through institutionalizing mechanization, intensifying hybrid seeds propagation and distribution, credit, extension and training, provision of insurance, marketing, and organizing farmers, among others.
Suggestions and Recommendations
Aside from the NSC on CFC, other concerned agencies and stakeholders were asked to review the Bill. In the July 14 meeting, private sector partners of PCAF reviewed the Substitute Bill and stressed the importance of corn as an essential commodity.
They have also included in Section 2 of the Bill the vital role of corn farmers’ organizations, along with the private sector, toward a competitive corn industry. Therefore, they should be provided with the necessary support to encourage stronger partnerships.
To benefit more farmers, the Committee recommended defining “smallholder” as “farmers with two hectares or less of land used in production” instead of farmer owning or cultivating four hectares or less of farmland, as stated in the Bill.
There was also a recommendation to review the country’s commitments under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Agriculture, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Trade in Goods Agreement and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and discuss this portion further with selected participants in a small group meeting.
Furthermore, in Section 9 or the Allocation and Disbursement of the Corn Competitiveness Enhancement Funds, the Committee suggested allocating 25% for post-production and 15% for mechanization of corn farms, to be implemented by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization. The allocation must include training and capacity building of beneficiaries and maintenance servicing of machinery and equipment.
In the Substitute Bill, 60% is allocated for mechanization, 15% for the credit facility, 10% for crop insurance, 10% for the support extension and training, and 5% for organizing and clustering of smallhold corn farmers.
For the extension support, the Committee suggested removing the allocation for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Cooperative Development Authority. They recommended that training and capacity buildings be lodged under the Agricultural Training Institute while the clustering, consolidation and farmers’ forums and expos be lodged under the National Corn Program. |JC
