Agri Dept. to bid out P1.25-B corn terminal facility

The P1.25-billion corn grains bulk terminal project will be opened for public bidding by the fourth quarter of 2012, the Department of Agriculture said Thursday. "We're still targeting to bid out the Grains Central Project by the end of the year. The feasibility is currently ongoing and is being undertaken by the International Finance Corp.," Agriculture Undersecretary Antonio Fleta told reporters in an interview.

 

This project aims to establish grains bulk handling systems with corn grains processing centers and transshipment stations in major corn-producing areas and selected seaports. It plans to upgrade, expand and enhance existing operations in at least 15 post-harvest processing and trading centers.

 

These processing centers would make it more efficient to produce and store corn, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in an earlier interview.

 

"We're currently expanding areas planted to corn so we need the grains terminal where we can store it," Alcala said.

 

The government aims to increase corn production to ensure the stability of the price of local meat products. Increases in the price of yellow corn usually affect the price of meat products such as chicken and pork, because corn is the main ingredient in animal feeds.

 

The government expects corn output to reach 3.48 million metric tons (MT) in 2012, 2.7 percent higher than the actual output of 3.31 million MT last year.

 

Fleta said the project will have to go through the approval of the Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority. —AE/VS, GMA News