Producers back stricter regulations on agri imports

MANILA, Philippines - Meat producers backed yesterday the government’s action to impose stringent regulations on the importation of agricultural products.

They allayed fears that the new regulations will cause prices of meat to increase.

Edwin Chen, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc. (ProPork) president, said Administrative Order No. 9 of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will address the problem of technical smuggling and fly-by-night importers.

“The volume of imported meat in cold storage, based on National Meat Inspection Service data, is at 8.8 million kilos,” he said.

“Add that with local meat production and that gives you 10 million kilos. So how can they claim that AO No. 9 is restrictive when our cold storages are in full capacity?

“AO No. 9 is the product of a year of consultations. The DA and the National Meat Inspection Service held a meeting on June 7, 2012 among meat traders, importers and processors and PAMPI was present during that meeting. Maybe they forgot that they were present?”  Chen said

Meat Importers and Traders Association president Jesus Cham had actually suggested imposing a P5-million minimum capitalization for meat importers.

– Edu Punay, Czeriza Valencia, Perseus Echeminada