August 14, 2010

Cheap imported meat has flooded the Philippines' Pangasinan, which has been sold even in remote villages, said provincial veterinarian Benedicto Perez.

"It's all over, not only in wet markets but the imported meat is sold even in remotest barangays at prices lower than the locally sourced meat," Perez said.

The price of imported pork is PHP90 (US$1.99) per kg, leading hog industry leaders to suspect that the meat could have been smuggled or dumped in the Philippines by countries hit by hog diseases.

"The practice in some countries is for their governments to pay piggery owners to butcher all their stocks and then export the meat to unsuspecting countries," said Board Member Danilo Uy, a piggery owner and member of Northern Luzon Hog Raisers Association (NLHRA).

Armi Bangsal-Lorica, a restaurant owner in Lingayen town, said she had been approached by a meat dealer who tried to sell imported pork and chicken at much lower prices than locally produced meat.

"The dealer was selling pork at PHP100 (US$2.21) per kg for the lean part, PHP70 (US$1.55) a kg for parts which are cooked as sisig and PHP90 (US$1.99) to PHP100 (US$2.21) a kg for quarter leg chicken. But while cheaper than locally produced meat, I refused to buy because they may not be safe," Bangsal-Lorica said. The dealer gave her a copy of a certificate of inspection from the Department of Agriculture. The certificate showed that the meat came either from France, Canada, the US or China.

Wet markets in Dagupan City and the towns of Lingayen, Calasiao and Mangaldan also sell imported meat.

Rosendo So, chair of the party-list group Abono and an official of the NLHRA, said imported meat may also be the source of a virus that has infected pig farms in Bulacan, Pangasinan and Tarlac. He said local hog raisers last year asked the DA for a laboratory to test the imported meat for any virus or bacteria, but no action was taken.

"It's been a year and a month now after that meeting but the DA has not put up a laboratory yet. Worse, the importation of pork from different countries continues unabated," So said.