‘Ban on meat imports may lead to food crisis’

MANILA, Philippines — Local meat processors warned that banning meat imports could provoke a food crisis at a time when the country is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

“We want to express our alarm at a well-orchestrated but subtle attempt by vested groups to provoke a crisis and destabilize the economy by spreading false or misleading information and blame the Department of Agriculture for it,” Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) president Felix Tiukinhoy said.

Several agriculture groups and producers, particularly the United Broilers Raisers Association, have been calling on the government to temporarily stop imports as the lockdown has caused a downturn in the country’s socio-economic activities, including a decrease in demand of poultry products.

“We deplore bullying of officials in the DA or any regulatory body who are unable to answer back because norms of government conduct require them not only to be onion-skinned but also to exercise maximum tolerance as well,” Tiukinhoy said.

“Since March when quarantine was declared, the meat product imports that are being demanded to be banned by a group of poultry lobbyists enabled our industry to produce processed meat products that feed millions of people until today,” he said.

The pandemic and the eventual lockdown has put all businesses at a standstill but the meat processing sector was asked to produce whatever they could to stock the national food relief program.

During the three month-lockdown, canned products were nearly wiped out from the grocery shelves prompting manufacturers to ramp up production.

During the 90-day quarantine period ending May, processing plants produced an unprecedented volume of 256.2 million cans of shelf-stable products that were distributed to and by national relief agencies, local government units and volunteer groups nationwide.

Some 3.7 million kilograms of frozen processed meat items were also produced and distributed through various channels.

Of PAMPI’s members, five firms produced canned goods namely Century Pacific Food Inc., CDO Foodsphere Inc., Sunpride Foods Inc. Virginia Food Inc. and Lami Foods and Gold Ribbon Group.

Other members, meanwhile, produced frozen meat items and dry goods which were distributed to markets or donated to depressed areas.