Philippines raises corn import quota for feed sector in 2026

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Corn import quota raised 2026

Highlights

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. increased the minimum access volume for corn imports to 500,000 metric tons from 220,000 metric tons to address a projected yellow corn deficit in 2026.
The order cites a forecast supply gap of 1.422 million metric tons from March to December 2026 due to constrained domestic output and El Niño risks.
The quota increase targets feed millers, manufacturers, and on-farm use, aiming to prevent feed cost spikes and food inflation for pork and poultry.

Quota increase targets projected feed corn gap

As reported by BusinessWorld, citing Executive Order No. 129, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. raises the minimum access volume for corn imports to 500,000 metric tons from 220,000 metric tons previously to address an expected shortage in yellow corn.

The order, dated Oct. 26 and signed by Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto on the President's behalf, says the country is projected to face a yellow corn supply deficit of about 1.422 million metric tons from March to December 2026. It says domestic output is constrained by rising fertilizer, fuel and freight costs, while El Niño is also likely to affect the local crop.

The quota increase is described as a calibrated and temporary measure recommended by the MAV Management Committee. The additional volume is earmarked for qualified feed millers and manufacturers, as well as farmers, cooperatives and associations producing feed for their own livestock and poultry operations.

Implementation timeline and market impact

Under the order, the MAV committee must issue implementing guidelines within 30 days after the measure takes effect. Those rules must provide for equitable and transparent allocation of the added volume and ensure imports remain calibrated, transparent and time-bound.

The order notes that a corn shortage could lift feed costs and push up pork and poultry prices, adding to inflation pressure. Mr. Marcos submitted the proposal to Congress on Sept. 29, and a proposed adjustment is deemed approved if Congress does not act within 15 days.

The order takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. The MAV committee includes representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Finance, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, and Economy, Planning, and Development.

In our earlier coverage of the UN-backed plan to move fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz, we explained that the mechanism could only start once the U.S. and Iran reached an agreement, and that delays were putting upcoming planting windows at risk in import-dependent regions. We also noted that prolonged disruption to urea and sulphur shipments from the Gulf could tighten global agricultural supplies and add to upward pressure on food and commodity prices.

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