Update import rules, DA told

The Meat Importers and Traders Association has challenged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to review regulations on meat importation as the department considers creating a mode of quick entry for traders who comply with current regulations.

“It is time for DA to update its regulations, especially on the matter of expiration of frozen meat,” the trade group said in a letter addressed to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

Association president Jesus Cham, reacting to the DA’s recent statement that meat importers have been violating rules on importation, noted that all companies recently underwent a stringent re-accreditation process administered by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and nearly a third of the importers have already been delisted.

Cham also said all imported meat products undergo quarantine clearance by Bureau of Animal Industry quarantine officers at their ports of entry and are inspected by the NMIS at cold storage facilities. Cham said that the DA should clarify or disclose details on the nature of these violations and their occasions.

Last week, the DA said it had found “several violations” on meat importation from the US, Canada and other countries. This, DA said, prompted the department to consider putting up a special “green lane” facility for meat importers who have a good record of compliance with local laws.

Imported goods that pass through a “green lane” are subject to minimal physical inspection.

Secretary Alcala said in a statement that the DA will allow entry up to a maximum of six months from the period the livestock was slaughtered.

“We sincerely hope that the DA will not be misled by the hog producers and turn the six-month product age requirement into another technical-barrier-to-trade in disguise,” Cham said.