Philippines eyes meat imports from Czech Republic

PRAGUE – The Philippines is eyeing the importation of meat products from Czech Republic, President Marcos said yesterday ahead of the visit of Czech agriculture officials and business delegation to the country next week.

In an interview with the Philippine media who covered his three-day state visit here, the President said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now conducting exploratory talks with its Czech counterpart for the country’s livestock products.

“Our interest really is the trade in meat products. They (Czech) export beef – Secretary Kiko told me earlier. They have technologies to make medicine to improve the condition of their livestock,” Marcos said, referring to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

Laurel joined Marcos’ visits to Germany and Czech Republic.

“That’s what we’re looking at. Not only will we procure, but hopefully we’ll produce it locally. So we will have our own source,” the President said.

“It’s really in terms of trade, because we don’t grow the same products. We do not have seasons like they have here. But in terms of livestock, I think there’s a lot – we’ll get a lot of new technology,” he added.

Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture of Czech Republic are expected to visit the Philippines next week to formalize the agreement.

“They have an avian flu vaccine. They are coming close to developing a swine flu vaccine,” he said.

“Those are the kinds of areas that we’re looking at. It’s really in terms of trade because we don’t grow the same products,’’ he said.

The President said Laurel visited a cattle and dairy farm here to see what can be applicable to the Philippines.

He said the delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture of Czech Republic was supposed to visit the Philippines later this year, but was moved to next week because of his state visit here.

During Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s visit to Manila in April last year, he expressed the readiness of his government to support the Philippines in the agriculture sector, among others.

In February, the DA has issued Special Order 152, allowing the agency to send an inspection team to the Czech Republic to check their meat products.

Under the agency’s Administrative Order 16 issued in 2006, countries are required to apply for accreditation seeking to export animals, meat and meat products to the Philippines.

Last year, the DA lifted the ban on poultry imports from the Czech Republic as the European country contained an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu.