MANILA - The Philippines said on Thursday a rare surplus in domestic supply this year meant it could export corn for the first time, touting Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea as possible buyers.

But with a global supply glut persisting, a farmers' group cautioned the country would face stiff competition from exporters like Thailand, now producing low-cost, low-priced corn.

Corn harvest this year was seen at 8.1 million tons, ahead of both the projected 5.6-million ton domestic requirement and last year's output of 7.5 million tons, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a statement.

"This is the first time that the Philippines will achieve a 120 percent corn sufficiency," Piñol said. Corn output will be boosted by the government's free irrigation program and hybrid corn seeds distribution, he said.

Piñol said he would ask President Rodrigo Duterte to order the National Food Authority (NFA) to amend the country's export guidelines, reducing the 200 percent sufficiency requirement that's currently in force.

Farmers' groups were less enthusiastic about the prospect of exports.

"It would be difficult for us to export corn because of the high cost of production in the Philippines," said Rosendo So, leader of the group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura. "Who is going to buy at a high price?"

Piñol said production of cassava, grouped with corn in the animal feeds category, was expected to reach 570,000 tons, compared with last year's output of 536,000 tons. Philippine animal feed makers are frequent importers of feed wheat.