July 1, 2005

Poultry association in Philippines seeks ban against chicken imports

The Northern Mindanao Poultry Industry Association in The Philippines has called for a ban on the importation of chicken parts because of the impact felt on the region's industry.
 

Roger Navarro, president of the association said the government should also ban highly subsidized imported raw materials especially those that are agri-based, because of the lack of taxation imposed on them in the export processing zone.

The Association is also opposed to the continued operation of Royal Cargo Combined Logistics, which was authorized by the Department of Agriculture to import chicken parts from the United States, process and then re-export them to the Japanese market. Royal Cargo had been given unfair advantage over local producers as their products enter the country tax free.

Northern Mindanao is a major producer of chicken products, and many big firms in Luzon have relocated to this region, especially in Bukidnon. The region has however suffered a recent setback because of the government's policy on imported chicken when Swift, one of the pioneers in the poultry production in the country, decided in March to cut down the capacity of its contract growers in Northern Mindanao by 40 percent, or about one million chickens.