September 1, 2020

Philippines trade department calls for end to ban on poultry imports from Brazil

The Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is calling on the Department of Agriculture to abrogate a ban on poultry imports from Brazil as the move could induce a supply shortage as well as a spike in prices of processed meat products, including canned meat.

During a briefing, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez highlighted the DTI's position that there is no scientific basis that chicken products from Brazil can transmit the COVID-19 coronavirus.

"That's why we sent a letter to Secretary Dar hoping the ban could be lifted because if not, our food supply will be threatened especially for those from meat processors which is a big food category purchased by consumers," he said. According to Lopez, the lifting of the ban could prevent a potential shortage of processed meat products.

He added that the supply of raw material used by meat processors from Brazil may run out in less than one month. This could have an impact on the price of processed meat. In fact, local meat processors can bring in raw material from Brazil at a low price -- importing them from other countries may lead to tight supply and rising prices, according to Lopez.

Earlier in August, the DA imposed a temporary ban on poultry meat imports from Brazil as a precautionary measure. DA's move was prompted by reports that SARS-COV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, was detected on chicken wings imported from Brazil during a screening conducted in Shenzhen, China.

- Philstar.com