June 14, 2022

Aquafeed producers in Philippines call for lifting of ban on pork products used to make fish feed

Aquafeed manufacturers have requested the Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) to lift a ban on the importation of pork products including processed animal proteins (PAP) from Italy that are used in manufacturing fish feed.

The move could help to bring down the prices of fish in local markets.

The ban has been in place since January this year as Italian authorities reported that wild boars tested positive for the African swine fever (ASF), prompting the agency to temporarily restrict the entry of this commodity to curb the spread of the disease.

"Maybe it's time for our government to review the regulation. Our regulation also needs to be world-class," said Norbert Chingcuanco, vice president of corporate planning at Feedmix Specialist Inc. II, in a virtual briefing. "Why is our regulation different from other countries such as the United States and Vietnam from food safety to business management? That's our appeal to the government."

"The government needs to review the ban on PAP. It would greatly help in lowering the cost of producing feeds and sourcing feeds," said Christopher Ian Tingzon, executive assistant to the president of Hoc Po Feeds Corp.

- Inquirer.net