Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. raised concerns over suspected agricultural smuggling and steep retail prices during his visit to the Cartimar market on Friday.
Inspecting market stalls, Sec. Tiu Laurel identified vegetables like onion sticks, Chinese yam, large broccoli, and peppers—some still wrapped in packaging with Chinese characters—as potentially smuggled goods. He pointed out that these items lacked Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs), making them unverified and possibly unsafe for consumers.
“I don’t recall the Bureau of Plant Industry issuing SPSICs for these vegetables. This strongly indicates smuggling,” he said. The Secretary urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) and related agencies to investigate and, if necessary, pursue legal action against those responsible.
Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Agaton Uvero, representing DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, cited the need for the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to issue seizure orders for smuggled goods. He also warned consumers about health risks linked to unregulated imports, which could contain harmful substances like pesticides and heavy metals.
Beyond smuggling, Sec. Tiu Laurel addressed the growing disparity between farm gate and retail pork prices. While live pig prices stood at P220-P240 per kilo on Thursday, retail prices soared to P380-P420 per kilo at the market.
The DA chief noted that a fair profit margin should limit retail prices to P300-P320 per kilo. He dismissed the ongoing African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak as a justification for inflated costs, citing effective DA vaccination efforts. The agency plans to recommend the approval of a Vietnamese ASF vaccine for commercial use this year.
Looking ahead, the DA intends to roll out mass vaccinations for Avian Influenza in the coming months to combat bird flu. These initiatives are part of the department’s broader effort to stabilize food supply and prices, ensuring affordability while mitigating inflation, Sec. Tiu Laurel said. ### (photo by Joseph Henry Elamparo, DA-AFID)
