Witnessed by hundreds of corn and livestock farmers and local officials, the City Local Government Unit of the City of Ilagan, headed by Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz, Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Chairman Mr. Sakol Cheewakoset, Isabela Governor Rodito Albano III, Speaker Bodjie Dy III represented by Rep. Allan Ty, Da Regional Executive Director Rose Mary G. Aquino, LandBank Vice President Victor Agorto and Sagittarian President Jay Avelino Diaz inaugurated the P1.8 billion worth Isabela Feed Mill Complex at Barangay Cabannungan 2nd, Ilagan City, designed to boost the local corn industry and supply poultry and livestock operations and aims to provide a stable price for local corn.

“This was a farfetched vision not so long ago. But with our desire to uplift Ilagan’s mandate to become the agro-industrial hub in Northern Philippines, coupled with providing our corn farmers a steady stand in the agricultural landscape, here it is, the Isabela Feed Mill Complex, the most advanced feed mill in the Luzon if not the Philippines,” Mayor Josemarie Diaz said in his message.

This development, fueled by PBBM’s core strategy of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for transforming the Philippine agricultural sector, focusing on enhancing productivity, ensuring food security, and improving the lives of farmers through collaborations with the private sector, emphasizes modernizing the agricultural value chain, leveraging technology, and securing investment to shift from traditional farming to a more commercialized, high-value industry.

“From the corn-livestock integration of RED Rose Mary G. Aquino of DA RFO 2 and the pride of Ilagan, we have revisited the value chain and we have sprinkled horizontal, vertical, and backwards integration and now we have circular economy. Thank you, Mr. Sakol Cheewakoset for believing, trusting and investing in Ilagan City,” Diaz said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Rodito Albano said the supply needs of CPF is 300, 000 metric tons of corn a year and soon 600, 000 a year if another complex will be built, whereas Ilagan only produces 250,000 metric tons.

“This complex will not only benefit Ilagan or Isabela. It will benefit Cagayan Valley.” Albano said.

Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines (CPF Philippines), one of the country’s leading agro-industrial and food companies, is set to lease the complex, situated in the Philippines’ corn capital. The Isabela Feed Mill Complex was constructed by Sagittarian Agricultural Philippines, Inc. (SAPI), with financing support from the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank).

Under the agreement, Landbank will provide SAPI with a PHP 1.2-billion loan to construct the 15-hectare feed mill and a PHP 100-million credit line for working capital. The facility will help CPF Philippines secure a steady supply of quality feed ingredients to support its growing poultry and livestock operations across Luzon. The company runs extensive integrated poultry operations in the country, encompassing the entire supply chain, from animal feed production to food processing and distribution.

The feed mill is expected to significantly boost local corn demand, with prices benefiting smallholder farmers in Isabela and nearby provinces.

Written by: Dr. Ferdinand Cortez