Swine producers threaten to stage 5-day 'market holiday'

MANILA, Philippines - Local agricultural producers led by the Swine Development Council (SDC) have threatened to stage a five-day “market holiday” if the Bureau of Customs (BOC) fails to address the unabated smuggling of agricultural goods.               

AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, who also represents the SDC, said they are giving Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon two weeks to act on their concerns.           

SDC, along with the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, National Federation of Hog Farmers, United Broilers Raisers Association (Ubra) as well as vegetable, fish and sugar producers, said Biazon should resign if he could not do his job.

“The continued inaction of authorities might lead us to stage a market holiday. We appeal to the BOC to act on our plea,” Briones said in a press conference at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City.                              

Briones lamented that not only hog and poultry raisers but also the entire agricultural sector are affected by rampant smuggling.           

“We put off the pork and chicken holiday after they agreed to talk to us and address our concerns. But there is no action until now,” he said.               

The groups are demanding the issuance of an Inward Foreign Manifest (IFM) to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The IFM is a list of imported products, the importer’s name, country source, shipping vessel and date of arrival.               

Ernesto Ordoñez of Alyansa Agrikultura said the Bureau of Customs should automatically transmit the IFMs of agricultural products to the DA.                  

“People just go to the market where anyone can buy pink salmon and cream dory despite the clear ban under the law on these fishes which are not indigenous here,” Arsenio Tanchuling, who represents local fish producers, said.               

Ubra, meanwhile, said the availability of Peking ducks and century eggs, whose importation has long been banned, is proof of its continuous smuggling.    

The sale of imported deboned chicken is also allowed in the market despite testing positive for salmonella, the group added.