PL 480 commodities shipment underway

Benefits under the United States’ Public Law (PL) 480 community loan program are now boosting the Arroyo administration’s agricultural modernization thrusts as shipments of American farm products covered by the program have been priming up state revenues, providing competitive edge to local corn growers, and giving quality raw materials needed by millers to manufacture animal feeds.

This was the assessment made by National Agricultural and Fishery Council Executive Director Ricardo Villo Jr. in a progress report submitted to Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor yesterday.

Villo assumed as NAFC director last July 16, 2001 who has since adopted a policy of transparency in one of the DA’s attached agencies which serve as a platform of public and private sector agricultural and fisheries collaboration.

In one case of a shipment in December 2001 of some 112,400 metric tons of yellow corn, soybean meal and feed peas covered by the program, Villo said government earned roughly P800 million from the deal for being able to negotiate a good price from interested buyers.

Villo, whose agency is tasked by both the US and Philippine governments to oversee the monetization of the PL 480 commodities, said the large volume of shipment that begun to arrive at local ports only recently, went on smoothly on account of the series of meetings conducted among the winning bidders, the traders and North Front to agree on various concerns such as ports handling fees, facilities to be provided by the buyers during unloading operations.

It was learned that bidders of the shipment, many of whom represent the Philippine Association of Feed Millers (PAFMI), were happy with North Front, a ship handling outfit appointed by the NAFC, due to its professional and timely cargo handling and delivery and whose transport fee charges are considered within industry rates.

"In fact, North Front made already three successful and on-time shipments and deliveries without any hitches covering Dec. 8, 9 and 10 which industry leaders considered professional that even Laura Ortiz, a PAFMI member and one of the big traders of feed ingredients, personally cited North Front for its efficiency in cargo handling which prevented possible occurrence of demurrage," Villo said.