Meat processors appeal ban on Indian buffalo meat imports

MANILA, Philippines — Meat processors sounded the alarm over possible supply disruptions on raw materials if a hold order issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on the importation of buffalo meat from certain Indian states would not be reversed soon.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) sought his intervention on an order recently issued by BAI-OIC Director Diosamia Sevilla concerning the evaluation of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) for imported buffalo meat (IBM) from certain areas in India.

Sevilla recently issued a memorandum holding in abeyance the review of all SPSICs for the importation of Indian buffalo meat originating from the states of Bihar, Maharashtra and Telangana.

According to Sevilla, the order was issued after an inspection team formed by the Department of Agriculture found out that the three Indian states have confirmed cases of the foot and mouth disease (FMD).

The temporary suspension of the review of SPSICs was meant to serve as a precautionary measure to protect the country’s domestic population against FMD.

SPSIC is a document issued by the government to certify that incoming shipments of goods and commodities are safe to consume and do not pose any threats to human, plant and animal health. Without it, any imported goods and commodities will not be allowed to enter the country and would be flagged as smuggled items.

However, PAMPI argued that the BAI’s decision could cause disruptions on the supplies of processed meat products like corned beef and meat loaves to be felt in the first quarter of next year.

“We have IBM raw materials that have been contracted and are ready for shipment from those states to meet our production requirements in January and February next year. The SPS ban will leave us with virtually no raw material inventory to process into canned goods by then,” the group said in its letter dated Dec. 12.

The group claimed that its imports of Indian buffalo meat from Maharashtra and Telangana states since 1994 have not caused any FMD issues.

“This is notwithstanding the fact that sporadic FMD outbreaks did occur as FMD is endemic in India,” PAMPI said.

PAMPI said that there has been no reported case of transmission of the FMD virus from the imported Indian buffalo meat in the past 30 years because both DA-accredited suppliers and local meat processors strictly comply with the guidelines set by the World Organization for Animal Health.

The group added that meat processors have been implementing the necessary protocols in inactivating FMD virus should they be found present in the raw materials they sourced.

“The SPS ban on the three states will set a disastrous precedent as it will result in our industry losing India as the only source of buffalo meat raw material,” it said.

PAMPI urged Tiu Laurel to conduct a “circumspect” and “more thorough” review of the matter to avoid impeding the country’s food security.

“Pending the outcome of such a review, we respectfully suggest that the status quo ante be maintained,” it said.

Late last month, non-government organizations urged the DA to immediately suspend the importation of carabeef from areas in India with reported FMD outbreaks to protect the domestic livestock industry.

Federation of Free Farmers and MAGSASAKA Party-list cited a report by a recent inspection mission of BAI to India indicating that there were FMD outbreaks in some parts of India where imported carabeef are sourced.

The groups pointed out that the country would still have other areas in India to source its carabeef requirement if the states of Maharashtra and Telangana would be banned.

Local meat processors import carabeef as raw material for their various processed meat products. The country imports 32 to 48 million kilos of carabeef from India annually.

The WOAH identifies FMD as a “severe” and “highly” contagious transboundary animal disease that has huge potential to disrupt global livestock production and trade. The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.