December 19, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is standing pat on its decision to ban the importation of buffalo meat from three Indian states, citing the need to protect local livestock population against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he has already responded to the appeal made by Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) regarding the ban imposed on imports of Indian buffalo meat (IBM) from the states of Bihar, Maharashtra and Telangana.
Tiu Laurel said he could not lift the import ban since the presence of FMD in the three states were confirmed by the DA inspection mission (DAIM) as well as by the Indian government itself through an official document.
“The suppliers in the three areas knew that there was an FMD there already and yet they did not tell us. If they (PAMPI) can get a document that says that these areas are FMD-free then we can lift [the ban],” he said.
The agriculture chief said 18 percent of the samples taken by the DAIM in the three states tested positive with FMD.
PAMPI earlier appealed to Tiu Laurel to reconsider the ban imposed on the three Indian states, claiming that it would cause supply disruptions to the industry by the first quarter of next year.
PAMPI argued 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 group also argued that the DA should also ban the importation of IBM from the state of Uttar Pradesh, citing the presence of FMD based on reports of International Society for Infectious Diseases and mainstream media in India.
However, Tiu Laurel explained that the DAIM did not find the existence of FMD in Uttar Pradesh, hence, there is no basis to ban IBM imports from the Indian state.
The Indian government also did not officially report to the Philippines that there is FMD in Uttar Pradesh, he added.
“I told them why not just buy from the new accredited plants? Why are you pushing for banned plants and areas? Why are you pushing me to allow areas proven to have FMD as tested by the Indian government,” he recalled telling a PAMPI representative.
The DA has expanded the number of accredited foreign meat establishments (FMEs) in India allowed to export IBM to the Philippines to 34 from the previously just six FMEs.
However, 13 of the accredited FMEs will not be able to immediately export carabeef to the Philippines since they are located in the three Indian states with FMD.
According to Tiu Laurel, he would allow the importation of boiled carabeef from the FMEs in the FMD-affected Indian states if they have the capacity to do so.
“If they can do that, I will allow it,” he said, citing the case of Pakistan exporting boiled carabeef to China.
Tiu Laurel explained that the expansion of accredited FMEs to export IBM to the Philippines is meant to increase competition in the domestic market with the goal of driving down costs of imported meat products.
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