Ban on Brazil poultry imports stays

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ ban on poultry imports from Brazil will continue until the Latin American country has ensured that its products are safe to export.

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it was still awaiting reply from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply following the detection of the coronavirus in chicken wings imported from Brazil to China.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking documents related to COVID-19 prevention and control procedures among Brazilian factory workers in chicken processing facilities.

The ban stays even after the Department of Trade and Industry requested the DA to lift the ban to avoid a possible shortage and increase in prices of processed meat products, including canned meat.

DTI’s request came after the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) warned that the ban could lead to a shortage of raw materials, thus, higher prices of canned food products.

In a recent letter to Brazil MAPA chief veterinary officer Geraldo Marcos de Moraes, the BAI said the Philippines was committed to resolving the issue, noting that the ban on Brazilian chicken products was part of a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and health of Filipino consumers.

The BAI cited the rising number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Brazil that included workers at meat processing facilities.

The Philippines has requested Brazil to submit its list of foreign meat establishments exporting to the Philippines, which reported COVID-19 cases, since March  this year.

It also asked for copies of MAPA-issued national guidelines on the control and prevention of COVID-19 cases in meat establishments, including protocol for resumption of operations, as well as food safety manuals of the meat plants that are reportedly banned by China.

Brazil should also submit its current rate of COVID testing on meat establishment workers, and its revised guidelines for the production, packaging and storage of mechanically deboned meats.

To date, Brazil has the world’s second-worst COVID-19 outbreak with over 3.2 million cases and more than 105,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Brazil currently accounts for nearly 20 percent of the Philippines’ poultry meat imports. Others are sourced from the US and Europe.

Meanwhile, various industry stakeholders urged the government to have a more aggressive stand on the temporary banning of all imported chicken until the pandemic is over.

“The local livestock and chicken industry can support the supply needed by the meat processors in order for them to supply the demands of the population. All food stakeholders should unite and support fellow local companies by buying their local produce and thus feeding our countrymen an all Filipino product from end to end,” they said.

The groups include the United Broilers Raisers Association, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc., Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Inc., National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc., Bounty Group of Companies, Philippine Eggboard Association Inc., and other regional counterparts of producers.

Meanwhile, the country will wait for the Brazilian government’s action to ensure its poultry meat exports are safe from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) before lifting the ban on these shipments, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in an interview with Teleradyo that he spoke with Agriculture Secretary William Dar yesterday regarding the DTI’s call to lift the ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil.

“We were updated by Sec. Dar that they are just waiting for the response from Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry and the company on the action they are taking,” he said.

He said the Department of Agriculture (DA) wants to get assurance Brazil is taking steps to make sure the poultry meat products being sold are COVID-free and employees in the exporting company are not allowed to report to work if found positive for the virus.

“That is the requirement,” he said.

Earlier this week, Lopez said the DTI asked Dar to lift the ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil  to prevent a possible shortage and price hike in processed meat including canned goods.

The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. has also called on the DA to exempt mechanically deboned meat or separated meat of chicken from the import ban as such is a raw material for their products.

Lopez said supply of the raw material could run out in less than a month.

When that happens, prices of processed meat products could go up.

Last month, the DA imposed a ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil.

This, after reports that a screening conducted in China showed chicken wings from Brazil had SARS-COV-2 or the causative agent of COVID-19.