DA URGES IMPORTERS TO BUY FROM FILIPINO HOG FARMERS

By Susan G. De Leon

Philippine Information Agency

QUEZON CITY, May 29 (PIA)—In the wake of the risks posed by the African Swine Flu (ASF), Agriculture Secretary Manny F. Piñol urged meat importers to patronize meat from the local hog raisers.

Piñol said importers should also take precaution in importing processed meat products even from countries not affected by ASF.

“We are not stopping you from doing your business, but we need to be cautious,” Piñol said during a meeting on May 28, 2019.

He said that until such time that the high-risk countries are identified, importers should also take precaution in importing processed meat products even from countries not affected by ASF.

“High-risk countries are defined as any country contiguous with an ASF-affected country which may pose potential threat,” Piñol stressed.

With about four to five months buffer stock from domestic and cold storage, the Secretary assured the meat importers that local hog raisers are prepared to supply the country’s demand.

“The Department of Finance (DOF) approved the importation of about 300,000 metric tons (MT) of yellow corn from the US to support our livestock industry,” Piñol said.

Piñol added that the Department targets to develop 100,000-hectare production area for corn and another 100,000-hectares for sorghum this year to supplement animal feeds and ultimately increase production of livestock and poultry.

According to Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Ariel T. Cayanan, the appeal of DA and hog raisers aims to resolve future food security problems.

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that while the temperature or the heat needed to kill viruses is a good parameter, we cannot take this as the sole parameter to be considered. On a regulatory point, it is not yet secured,” Cayanan said.

“While ASF will not affect people, we also need to look at the food security concerns of the country,” the undersecretary said.

Meanwhile, the FDA has issued Memorandum Order No. 2019-046 for all importers, distributors, retail outlets, dealers to immediately recall all pork meat products imported from countries that might be affected by ASF.

“The moment that these products are displayed in the shelves of supermarkets, the FDA will write the supermarket owners a letter of inquiry and will require them to explain why they have these products,” Cayanan said.

The order also calls for the seizure of all imported pork meat products for distribution, offered for sale, transfer, and/or for donation found during the conduct of continuous monitoring of FDA Regulation Officers.

FDA has assured the department that it has already suspended the issuance of registration of processed pork meat products from the identified ASF-affected countries.

Pursuant to DA Memorandum Order no. 30 and 31, FDA expanded its temporary ban of entry of meat and meat products from Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa, Zambia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Romania, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Mongolia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. (PIA InfoComm/DA-AFID

(Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Ariel T. Cayanan met with meat importers on Tuesday (May 28) and urge them to patronize local hog raisers in the wake of African Swine Flu scare. Photo courtesy of DA-AFID)