Traders hit party-list rep over meat imports

MANILA, Philippines - The Meat Importers and Traders Association Inc. (MITA) is taking issue against party-list representative Nicanor Briones for alleging that certain meat importers are engaged in smuggling activites; that meat importers may have bribed Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) officials to issue import permits, and that meat imports are driving the down the price of local pork.

In a letter dated Aug. 17, 2011 to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, MITA president Jesus C. Cham said that the allegations of Rep. Briones “are nothing new. They have been raised again and again, especially whenever there is a change in the leadership at DA.”

Cham pointed out that current regulations require all meat importations to undergo X-ray and examination by the Bureau of Customs; inspection of the container and subsequent resealing by the BAI quarantine officer at the port entry; transfer to the designated NMIS registered cold store where NMIS Inspector breaks the seal and conduct 100-percent inspection of the contents.

Cham also pointed out that “there is no reason for any meat importer to bribe BAI or to smuggle pork fat, rind or offal.”

Such items, he said, “have low units (below $1/kg) and are subject to low tariff rates (below 10 percent).”

Thus, Cham said, “the importer is better off playing by the rules than to run the risk of smuggling these products.”

As to allegations that meat imports are the reason for the low price of pork, Cham pointed out that pork prices continue to remain above P170 per kilogram in the wet market and above P200/kg in the supermarket.

Likewise, Cham cited the fact that hog farm gate prices have stayed above P100/kg, up from P50 in 2005.

Hog producers, including commercial farms, Cham argued, are still growing and expanding while consumers suffer.

Recent surveys show, Cham said, that half of the people rate themselves poor, while 40-percent rate themselves food-poor.

“Small wonder pork by-products that cost below $1/kg are in demand from consumers and processors,” Cham said.