NFA asks BOC to go after 5 rice importers

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) has asked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to go after at least five rice traders who recently brought into the country, through the Port of Davao, 243,000 50-kilogram bags of rice allegedly without import permits.

NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said the agency has recommended to the BOC the filing of appropriate charges against the rice traders and Customs personnel who allowed the shipments to leave the port allegedly without permits. 

In a letter to Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon on Tuesday, NFA Administrator Orlan Calayag identified the consignees as Bold Bidder Marketing and General Merchandise, with 25,000 bags of rice that arrived last Aug. 7 and 12; Jade Bros. Farms and Livestock Inc., with 77,000 bags that arrived on July 26 and Aug. 11; Medaglia de Oro Trading, with 45,000 bags that arrived on July 27 and Aug. 7, 10 and 19; Silent Royalty Marketing, with 68,000 bags that arrived on Aug. 10, 18 and 28 and Sept. 4; and Starcraft Trading Corp., with 28,000 bags that arrived on Sept. 21 and Oct. 1.

The NFA said this was confirmed by the BOC’s district collector in Davao, lawyer Raymond Ventura.

At NFA’s request, some 69,500 50-kilogram bags of imported rice that arrived at the Port of Davao had been put on hold while the legality of the shipments were being verified.

Shipments of 34,700 50-kilogram bags that arrived at the port last Sept. 6 were consigned to the San Carlos Multipurpose Cooperative.

Shipments of 34,800 50-kilogram bags that arrived at the port last Oct. 19 were consigned to Starcraft Trading Corp.

Rice imports are levied a duty of 40 percent when made under the 350,000 minimum access volume (MAV) and 50 percent if made outside the special restriction volume. 

High import duty is slapped on rice to protect local farmers from the influx of cheap foreign rice.

For this year, the Philippines has an allocation of 163,000 metric tons for the MAV country-specific quota comprising 98,000 MT for Thailand, 25,000 MT for China, 25,000 MT for India, and 15,000 MT for Australia.

The Philippines also imported 187,000 MT of its buffer stock requirements from Vietnam under a government-to-government tender with its state-run Southern Food Corp. during the first semester of the year.

The Philippine government is aiming for a production sufficiency level of 98 percent this year.