BOC tightens watch on imported meat products

CEBU, Philippines - Amidst complaints by hog raisers on the alleged rampant smuggling of pork and chicken meat, Bureau of Customs commissioner Rufino Biazon has instructed all district collectors to tighten their watch of all imports and 100% examination of all refrigerated container vans.

Biazon said that he still have to receive the report of suspected importers that are involved in this alleged illegal activity.

“We are reviewing the accreditation of suspected importers,” said Biazon, in a text message sent to The Freeman.

Biazon added that BOC and the hog raisers entered into a memorandum of agreement during the three-day hog convention held in Cebu last week to enhance cooperation through their assignment of industry experts to observe the clearance processes in BOC for transparency.

Biazon further that they are also studying the refinements of the inspection procedures involving the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Hog raisers earlier went on a nationwide “pork holiday” to let the government realized on their losses as a result of the unabated smuggling of pork, which they estimate to have reached P8.5 billion in the past eight months.

Rolando Tambago, president of the Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative, said that Cebu was the first one to raise this issue on the massive importation of meat since last year.

Tambago said that Cebu has several meat importers, which in effect has resulted to a massive importation of meat.

“As of now, we cannot say that they are engaging into technical smuggling or misdeclaration. But ubay-ubay gyud ang imported meat diri sa Cebu,” said Tambago, who is also director of Swine Development Council.

According to SDC, around 36 million Filipinos are dependent on the chicken, cattle and hog industry with most of them coming from allied industries such as those producing feed from cassava, corn, rough rice and coconut.

It can be recalled that in November 2011, the House Committee on agriculture and food conducted a public hearing in Cebu after small-time hog raisers and farmers raised their concerns as they are in “danger of extinction” as Cebu and the rest of the country is flooded with cheap and imported meat.

CVPPC said that imported meat is now flooding the wet market which is relatively cheaper than the local produced meat and recommended to the committee to regulate the volume of meat importation, strict monitoring of entry of imported meat at port level.

As for the two-day pork holiday, Tambago said that majority of the backyard and big farms in the Visayas area also joined but admits Cebu was not affected much unlike in the national level.

He added that their organization will be having a meeting next week for them to discuss their next action in order for the government to address their concerns as soon as possible.

He said several farms in the region are already laying-off its workers to reduce its costs as a result of massive meat importation.

Central Visayas has 33 commercial farms wherein one of the biggest is situated in Dumanjug, Cebu.

Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones, LPG-MA Rep. Arnel Ty and AGAP Rep. Nicanor Briones have filed bills and resolutions in the House to probe the rampant smuggling of imported meat.

President Benigno Aquino III, through DA secretary Proceso Alcala in his keynote speech during the hog convention in Cebu last week, has directed DA and its livestock agencies to swiftly address the major needs and concerns of the hog raisers and pork producers by implementing policies and providing needed support to further develop and strengthen the country’s swine industry, and make it globally competitive.——(FREEMAN)