An alliance of agriculture product suppliers
and producers on Wednesday renewed its threat to conduct a five-day “market
holiday” if the government still will not put a stop to the continued smuggling
of their products.
“When before we planned to stage a pig and
poultry holiday, now we’re raising the bar. We do not want to come to that
point, but the continued inaction leads us to the strong possibility of a
market holiday to dramatize our point,” said Abono party-list organization
Chairman and Swine Development Council Director Rosendo So.
The alliance, which includes the fisheries
advocacy group Tambuyog; the onion growers association KASAMNE; rice farmers
group PAKISAMA; and pork and poultry raisers associations, claimed that the
unabated smuggling has not only threatened their own livelihoods but also the
food security of the country.
The animal raisers had earlier deferred a pig
and poultry holiday after the Bureau of Customs agreed to put an end to
smuggling but instead, according to the alliance, “the situation only become
worse.”
Arsenio Tanchuling of Tambuyog and Gregorio
San Diego of the United Broilers Association pointed out that proof of rampant
smuggling can be easily seen in wet markets and restaurants.
“Anyone doubting smuggling need only go the
market where anyone can buy pink salmon and dory from our markets despite the
clear ban under the law on these fishes which are not indigenous here,”
Tanchuling explained.
Pro-Pork Chairman and President Edwin Chen
said that one of the actions the alliance is demanding the Customs Bureau take
is to release the inward-forward manifest, a list of the goods coming in from
abroad on a specific vessel. This allows for transparency and alerts the
agriculture sector of incoming agricultural imports.
In addition, the group also asked for a 100
percent inspection of shipments, an increase in the reference price of goods,
and the clean-up of the accredited importers list.
The alliance added that despite earlier
promises to assist agricultural producers, Biazon has failed to even complete
his investigation into the top meat and foodstuffs importers who often
misdeclare their importations. — DVM, GMA News
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