CLARK FREEPORT – Commercial and backyard swine and chicken producers are set to meet today with Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala to demand a temporary but total freeze on pork and chicken importation amid a market meat glut passed on by the Arroyo administration.
“From last January to July, our pork imports total about 115 million kilos. This already exceeds the total of 114 million kilos for the entire 2009,” Rep. Nicanor Briones of the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (ASAP) party list told Punto yesterday. He said he will be among those who would meet with Alcala today to press for freeze on the imports.
Briones also noted that chicken imports since last January has already reached 67 million kilos, as against only 62 million kilos in 2009.
“These imports were approved during the last months of the Arroyo administration and it is only during the administration of Pres. Aquino that they are flooding the market since it takes about 45 to 60 days for the good to reach us from the time they were approved for importation, Briones explained.
“There is no more reason for importation. The imported pork and chicken are already here in overabundance and they are killing the local industry,” he said.
Briones said that the delegation to meet with Alcala today will include officials of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, the Poultry Raisers Association of the Philippines, and groups from backyard animal raisers from various regions.
This, even as Briones the new officials at the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to show their support to the Aquino administration’s commitment to cleanse the government of graft and corruption.
“The government has continued to lose heavily through misdeclaration of agricultural imports,” he lamented.
He cited his estimates that of the 115 million kilos of pork imported this year, about 50 percent were misdeclared as fat, internal organs or pork skin so as to skirt payment of higher taxes.
“The government imposes only five percent tax on these parts, and 35 percent on the fleshy parts of pork,” he noted.
Briones also said he estimated as about 50 percent of the 67 million kilos of chicken were also misdeclared as chicken feet or other parts of chicken entitled to lower tariff.
“I think the issuance of import permits on these products should be at the level of the Agriculture secretary himself and not just the Bureau of Animal Industry. There have been unfortunate developments in this concern,” he said.
Briones also urged the BOC to cleanse its list of importers to make sure they are not using fictitious names and addresses.
“The anomalous practice has been there for years, and yet nothing has been done about it. The misdeclared or smuggled goods are caught, and when the names and addresses of the importer are found, they turn out to be fictitious so no one is caught,” he lamented.
He also said that he will also ask the government to impose suggested retail prices on pork and chicken amid reports that the high cost of meat in the market are not based on their live farmgate market price, but on the dictates of retailers and traders.
“The live farmgate price of a pig now only about P90 per kilo and normally P60 is added to this for the retail price which then should only be P140 per kilo. But pork in our market sells for as much as P180 to P190 kilo these days,” he noted.
At the same time, Briones said beef producers are set to tackle today with Alcala problems in the importation of carabeef from India. He said that under the government’s policy, imported carabeef is supposed to be for the exclusive use of food processors and sold as processed food.
“For years now since the Arroyo administration, about 50 percent of the imported carabeef are being sold in our wet markets and passed off as pure beef. They’re selling well because their even cheaper than pork,” he said.
Briones noted that while carabeef is safe to eat when processed, they could spread foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in local animals if they are sold raw in wet markets. “The fact is that FMD has persisted in India. We have already contained FMD in Luzon and we do not want another outbreak that will continue to prevent us from importing our locally produced pork,” he said.
“From last January to July, our pork imports total about 115 million kilos. This already exceeds the total of 114 million kilos for the entire 2009,” Rep. Nicanor Briones of the Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (ASAP) party list told Punto yesterday. He said he will be among those who would meet with Alcala today to press for freeze on the imports.
Briones also noted that chicken imports since last January has already reached 67 million kilos, as against only 62 million kilos in 2009.
“These imports were approved during the last months of the Arroyo administration and it is only during the administration of Pres. Aquino that they are flooding the market since it takes about 45 to 60 days for the good to reach us from the time they were approved for importation, Briones explained.
“There is no more reason for importation. The imported pork and chicken are already here in overabundance and they are killing the local industry,” he said.
Briones said that the delegation to meet with Alcala today will include officials of the National Federation of Hog Farmers, the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, the Poultry Raisers Association of the Philippines, and groups from backyard animal raisers from various regions.
This, even as Briones the new officials at the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to show their support to the Aquino administration’s commitment to cleanse the government of graft and corruption.
“The government has continued to lose heavily through misdeclaration of agricultural imports,” he lamented.
He cited his estimates that of the 115 million kilos of pork imported this year, about 50 percent were misdeclared as fat, internal organs or pork skin so as to skirt payment of higher taxes.
“The government imposes only five percent tax on these parts, and 35 percent on the fleshy parts of pork,” he noted.
Briones also said he estimated as about 50 percent of the 67 million kilos of chicken were also misdeclared as chicken feet or other parts of chicken entitled to lower tariff.
“I think the issuance of import permits on these products should be at the level of the Agriculture secretary himself and not just the Bureau of Animal Industry. There have been unfortunate developments in this concern,” he said.
Briones also urged the BOC to cleanse its list of importers to make sure they are not using fictitious names and addresses.
“The anomalous practice has been there for years, and yet nothing has been done about it. The misdeclared or smuggled goods are caught, and when the names and addresses of the importer are found, they turn out to be fictitious so no one is caught,” he lamented.
He also said that he will also ask the government to impose suggested retail prices on pork and chicken amid reports that the high cost of meat in the market are not based on their live farmgate market price, but on the dictates of retailers and traders.
“The live farmgate price of a pig now only about P90 per kilo and normally P60 is added to this for the retail price which then should only be P140 per kilo. But pork in our market sells for as much as P180 to P190 kilo these days,” he noted.
At the same time, Briones said beef producers are set to tackle today with Alcala problems in the importation of carabeef from India. He said that under the government’s policy, imported carabeef is supposed to be for the exclusive use of food processors and sold as processed food.
“For years now since the Arroyo administration, about 50 percent of the imported carabeef are being sold in our wet markets and passed off as pure beef. They’re selling well because their even cheaper than pork,” he said.
Briones noted that while carabeef is safe to eat when processed, they could spread foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in local animals if they are sold raw in wet markets. “The fact is that FMD has persisted in India. We have already contained FMD in Luzon and we do not want another outbreak that will continue to prevent us from importing our locally produced pork,” he said.
