November 22, 2006

 

Philippines tracking down smuggled pork stolen from customs

 

 

The National Federation of Hog Farmers in the Philippines urged Thursday the Bureau of Customs to open 11 refrigerated vans allegedly containing smuggled meat.

 

Nicanor Briones, the group's vice-president, said BOC has 11 more vans of smuggled meat from China aside from the four seized at the Manila port. BOC officials earlier said some 20-million pesos (US$400,000) worth of smuggled pork was stolen from the four containers inside the security warehouse of the Harbor Center Terminal in North Harbor, Manila.

 

The cargo was earlier ordered confiscated after it was found "misdeclared" as frozen mackerel.

 

The federation is alleging that there is "double smuggling" happening, without elaborating.

 

Briones challenged BOC to open the containers at the soonest possible time and suggested pouring kerosene over the meat products to avoid its usage and illegal distribution.

 

Officials have been plagued by accusations of corruption. Difficulties in disposing of  the smuggled meat have also been encountered as villages do not want their land used as dumping grounds.

 

Quarantine officials earlier said the smuggled pork could contain foot-and-mouth disease.

 

Authorities said the theft was an "inside job" with the intent of selling the smuggled meat as processed ham for Christmas.

 

The provincial government of Nueva Ecija in the Philippines reactivated its task force against foot- and-mouth disease to protect the province from the stolen shipment.

 

The shipment from North Harbor in Manila was reportedly being distributed in Central Luzon.

 

Vice-Gov. Mariano Cristino Joson said that a composite team from the provincial veterinary, agriculture and health offices would monitor the sale of frozen meat in the province. These meats would be used by processors for ham, sausages and other products for Christmas.

 

The provincial police has also been alerted to guard against the entry of the smuggled meat. The pork shipment allegedly had no import permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry and no veterinary quarantine clearance.

 

President Gloria Arroyo has drawn accolades for her campaign against pork smuggling through the Anti-Smuggling Task Force.

 

The National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. (NFHF) applauded the government's "unrelenting campaign against smuggling and continued work of the task force in apprehending the smuggled items."

 

The NFHF said the campaign has resulted in the "price recovery in farm gate prices of hogs."

 

Ever since the task force undertook its job, there has been a marked improvement in the farm gate prices of hogs compared to the last quarter of last year, the group said.

 

The group said it is confident prices would improve as smuggled pork and meat is minimised in the domestic market.