Philippines feedmillers, poultry and livestock firms have asked the government to allow them to import an additional 80,000 tonnes of yellow corn this month for animal feed, an industry spokesman said on Monday.
"We would like to have the tender held this month so that we can meet the June/July arrival deadline set by the government," Ric Pinca, spokesman of the Philippine Association of Feedmillers Inc, told Reuters by phone. The National Food Authority (NFA), the grain importing arm of the Philippine government, said it was still studying the proposal.
"We have to make sure that the corn arrives between June and July, or before local farmers start harvesting corn in August and September," NFA administrator Jessup Navarro told Reuters. Last week, Philippine feedmillers, poultry and livestock firms bought 120,000 tonnes of yellow corn from Argentina for June/July arrival. The local firms had sought to buy up to 200,000 tonnes in that tender.
Of the 120,000 tonnes bought, Cargill Philippines Inc won the contract to supply 60,000 tonnes from Argentina at $215.48 per tonne, including cost and freight, for arrival no later than July 31. Toepfer International Asia won a contract to supply the remaining 60,000 tonnes at $215.50 per tonne, including cost and freight, for arrival no later than June 30.
The volume is part of the 400,000 tonnes corn that the Southeast Asian country plans to buy overseas this year to fill a projected shortfall in local production for animal feed. Local firms asked the government to waive the minimum 35 percent tariff on imported corn so that the grain would cost the same as local corn.
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