THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has approved additional imports of frozen small pelagic fish to augment domestic supplies following a series of typhoons.
Memorandum Order 51, signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., allows the importation of 8,280 metric tons (MT) of pelagic fish species such as round scad and mackerel.
This will be on top of a 30,000-MT volume earlier approved by the department, which Tiu Laurel said needed to be adjusted “to address the effects of typhoons Kristine, Leon, Marce, Nika, Ofel and Pepito on the fish supply for the fourth quarter of 2024.”
The 30,000-MT importation, approved in April, was in anticipation of a shortfall due to the closed fishing season, which started this month and will end in March.
The DA said the bulk of the additional imports, or 8,000, will not affect the previously allocated maximum importable volume while the 280 MT will go to Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers.
Selling via the Kadiwa centers would provide “those who belong to the vulnerable sectors such as indigents, persons with disabilities and senior citizens with [an] affordable source of protein,” it added.
Food sold in Kadiwa centers is typically priced 20 percent lower than in public markets, the department noted.
Sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for the additional fish import volume will be issued until Dec. 16 and the imports must arrive in the country by Jan. 30 next year.
Be the first to comment