Private sector to import corn this yr

The private sector is set to bring in 173,550 metric tons of corn this year at lower than usual tariff rates, as part of government's minimum access volume (MAV) commitment under the GATT Uruguay Round agreement.

Forty-three companies grabbed this year's MAV for corn. San Miguel Foods, Inc. got the biggest allocation at 14,962 metric tons, followed by Swift Foods with 14,241 tons, General Milling Corp. with 13,097 tons, Monterey Foods Corp. with 13,009 tons, and National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. with 12,745 tons.

Other companies which got fairly sizeable corn MAV allocations also include Agribrand Phils. with 9,603 tons; Foremost Farms with 6,947 tons; La Filipina Uy Gongco with 7,281 tons; the National Food Authority with 5,918 tons; Philippine Association of Hog Raisers with 5,084 tons; Phil. Foremost Milling Corp. with 6,277 tons; Phil. Super Feed Corp. with 7,250 tons; Purefoods Corp. with 6,804 tons; Simon Enterprises with 7,525 tons; and Vitarich Corp. with 5,275 tons.

Other than the MAV, however, government said it has no plans of importing corn. The importation of corn has been privatized, which means that the private sector can import even without government's approval so long as the proper tariffs are paid.

The MAV for corn was increased from 160,458 metric tons in 1999 to 173,550 tons this year.

Meanwhile, like corn, the bids for a share of the MAV for frozen poultry was more than the total volume available.

Seventy-seven companies got shares of the 18,790 metric tons MAV for poultry this year. The biggest allocation of 3,638 tons went to Swift Foods, Inc. followed by San Miguel Foods with 2,547 tons; Purefoods Corp./Purefoods-Hormel Co. with 1,272 tons; QSR Corp. with 1,093 tons; and Paula Foods Corp. with 1,090 tons.

Bidders for poultry either plan to sell the chicken directly in the supermarkets, as in the case of Rustan Supermarkets, or process them, as in the case of Swift or Purefoods. Most of the bidders, however, were traders.

The demand for the 43,365-metric ton MAV for pork, however, was not that high. Only 34,333 metric tons were availed of, according to MAV Management Committee executive director Sikatuna Fonacier. The biggest frozen pork allocation went to Purefoods (5,425 tons); followed by Rustan Supermarkets with 5,000 tons; Uni-Gain Int'l with 3,000 tons; Swift Foods with 2,272 tons; and Foodsphere and CSP Int'l with 1,500 tons each.

In the case of coffee beans, the entire 1,192-ton MAV for this year was availed of. The bulk of around 970 tons will go to Nestle Phils. Other allocatees for coffee beans include U-bix Subic Bay Corp. (69.6 tons); Rustan Supermarkets (66 tons); Rustan Coffee Corp. (65.1 tons); Dome Cafe Franchise Corp. (10 tons); Europa Delicatessen (6.28 tons); and Romar's Mfg. (five tons).

For coffee extracts, 25.3 tons out of the 26 ton MAV for 2000 was availed of, with 20.25 tons going to Nestlé Phils.