Government tightens requirements for meat imports

MANILA, Philippines — The government will impose additional requirements for meat importers amid an oversupply in the local inventory, particularly chicken.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar has crafted additional guidelines on the approval of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance for meat commodities.

The coronavirus pandemic, which forced hotels and restaurants to temporarily shut down operations, has resulted in low demand for meat products.

This resulted in an oversupply of local production which led to the full capacity of cold storage warehouses which are critical facilities in maintaining freshness and safety of imported meat and meat by-products.

Dar told The STAR the agency was facilitating the dialogue between domestic poultry raisers and the processing companies.

Aside from the usual documents such as pro forma invoice or the preliminary bill of sale sent to buyers in advance of a shipment or delivery of goods, the DA now requires a certificate of availability of space for accredited cold storage warehouses.

Importers should also provide their meat importation usage report to ensure that importers have fully utilized their meat imports allocation every year.

Both additional documents shall be issued by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). Any incomplete requirements in each application shall be rejected by the Bureau of Animal Industry.

The United Broiler Raisers’ Association has recognized the effort of DA, but insists more needs to be done.

“It is short of our request. Let us see about compliance with the order. Implementation is an entirely different matter. Does the NMIS have the personnel to validate the certifications?” Ubra president Elias Jose Inciong told The STAR.

Last month, Ubra asked the government to immediately suspend importation as the glut has gravely damaged the poultry industry.

Meanwhile, the Meat Importers and Traders Association is still seeking clarification on the new order, whether it applies to all importers or to processors only because DA already requires utilization data on controlled meat like buffalo.