ILOILO CITY — The Veterinary Quarantine Office of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) have intensified their monitoring of meat being sold in markets here due to reported “importation” to meet the demands.
“Meat importation is allowed” due to lack of stocks, said Dr. Nilo Lingaya, Regional Veterinary Quarantine Officer of the BAI, in an interview on Thursday.
However, he did not say the amount of imported meat entering the market.
These are “value added products from other nations that are no longer saleable,” he said, adding that meat are being sent to Third World or populated countries.
The meat products are usually sourced from Europe, Canada, USA and Australia.
Imported meat products entering Western Visayas pass through Cebu or Manila ports because there are no direct containerized foreign vessels to Iloilo.
Lingaya said they have personnel deployed in ports and seaports to ensure that animals coming into the region are well-documented.
The Veterinary Quarantine Office serves as the first boarder of defense.
The BAI checks the documents of imported meat where they will be provided with a meat inspection certificate (MIC) and endorsed to the NMIS.
Meantime, Dr. Emmanuel Lemana, Director of NMIS, said that they help in the conduct of inspection in local markets.
He said that they are tasked to ensure that meat products from the slaughterhouse are safe.
NMIS, the second boarder of defense is also into disease surveillance and monitoring of imported meat.
Lemana also shared the view of Lingaya that the meat stocking in Iloilo has declined. Prices increase due to lack of stocks in backyard and commercial farms.
As the monitoring is being strengthened, they both asked the support of local government units and the public in making sure that no hot meat or smuggled goods enter the market in Iloilo.
Lemana advised the public to always look for the MIC when buying imported meat products.
In a previous interview, Jose Ariel Castañeda, head of the Local Economic and Enterprise Office said he received reports of imported meat products being sold in the markets.
He said that on the brighter side, the scenario provides “opportunity for business” because it affirmed that the demand for meat consumption in Iloilo is increasing and it could not be cope by the local production.
However, their concern is on the regulatory function to make sure that they have the “correct papers and have undergone an inspection from the source”. (PNA)
