Import moratorium on chicken asked by groups

May 19 ----- Some groups called on the Philippine government to impose a short-term moratorium on the issuance of import permits for chicken, saying that the supply is "in excess."

The groups say "over importation" as well as the supposed continuous smuggling of other farm commodities have resulted in excessive supply. For one, the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) suggested a short moratorium on chicken imports so as not to adversely affect local producers. “Perhaps a very short moratorium on importation can be considered by the government,” PRRM president Edicio dela Torre said in a press release. It should be noted, however, that a moratorium on chicken imports may be justified only if it is based on accurate and updated data on consumption and domestic production, as well as the impact of imports on live weight prices,” he added.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) executive director Jayson Cainglet, meanwhile, maintained that similar to other commodities, chicken imports should only be done when the supply is low. “Doing that is not a violation of trade commitments. All countries are doing that, except us,” Cainglet said. “We don’t want the poultry sector to suffer the fate of the onion and garlic industries who have been too dependent on importation."

On the other hand, United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) chairman Gregorio San Diego said chicken imports should only be reduced slowly considering the country’s dependence on it. “This will allow local production to adjust up to the time that we are self-sufficient in terms of broilers,” San Diego said.

Dela Torre said as importation continues and smuggling remains a serious problem, "the government should look at these not only on their immediate impact on domestic production and food safety. We should worry that domestic producers will not only reduce production, but give up on investing to improve and expand their business. Once such decisions are made, we cannot expect them to shift back,” he said.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development had estimated that chicken consumption in the Philippines will only grow by 7% per capita to 15.08 kilos this year.

Source: gmanetwork.com