Legarda Wants Senate Inquiry on Reported Excessive Meat Importation

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA HAS CALLED FOR AN INQUIRY ON THE ALLEGED OVER-IMPORTATION OF MEAT PRODUCTS, WHICH COULD HAVE DRASTIC EFFECTS TO THE LOCAL MEAT INDUSTRY.
Legarda expressed deep concern over reports about the significant increase in the volume of meat being brought into the country that has pushed down prices and is posing a serious threat to the local pork, poultry and feeds industries.
The Senator noted that pork importation increased dramatically in the previous years, from 65 million kilograms in 2007 to 135 million kilograms from January to November 2011; while poultry importation also increased, from 18 million kilograms in 2007 to 103 million kilograms from January to November 2011.
“Our local producers are alarmed over the alleged over-importation of meat products, which threatens to kill the P200-billion hog and poultry industry. Frozen imported meat is sold at P90 to P100 per kilo, while locally produced meat is sold at P160 to P170 per kilo,” Legarda pointed out.
“Lower prices of frozen imported meat have forced our backyard raisers to decrease the prices of locally-produced meat, thereby resulting to huge losses to these local industries,” she stressed, noting that 70% of the hog industry is composed of backyard raisers.
It is in this light that Legarda filed Senate Resolution 661, which urges the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the reported over-importation of meat products that may be detrimental to the local pork, poultry and feeds industries.
“No less than our Constitution provides that we must support and promote the use of Filipino labor, local resources and native goods, and raise our citizen’s level of competitiveness. Thus, regarding the issue at hand, it is necessary to assess the policy and level of importation of meat products to effectively address the concerns of Filipino hog and poultry raisers,” Legarda concluded.