Sunday, October 30, 2011

BAI Gears Up for Livestock Exporting Opportunities

"Given our FMD free status, let us continue to work together towards promoting the Pinoy pork and other livestock commodities. This meeting aims to create an advisory body which will come up with the mechanics on the promotion and marketing of pork products within the country and throughout the world"

This statement was made by the Bureau of Animal Industry Director Efren C. Nuestro during the June 8 consultative meeting with the hog industry stakeholders and inter-government agency collaborators at the Office of the Director�s Conference Room. This was done immediately upon his arrival from his trip to Paris, France to attend the 79th General Session of the Office International des Epizooties(OIE) also known as World Organisation for Animal Health. During this session, a certificate for a Philippine Foot and Mouth Disease Free Zone was awarded to the Philippine government dated 26 May 2011. The said certificate, signed by OIE President Carlos A. Correa Messuti and Director Bernard Vallat was received by the Director together with Assistant Secretary Davinio P. Catbagan in behalf of the Agriculture Secretary. It states that " being free from foot and mouth disease(FMD), vaccination is not practiced in accordance with the provisions of Article 8.5.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code." Such recognition is based on the documentation submitted to the OIE by the Official Veterinary Services of the Philippines in 23 November 2010. It comes with the obligation to immediately notify the OIE of any significant epidemiological event in relation to FMD in the country and to annually confirm that the situation has remained unchanged. This certification has cleared the country�s FMD Affected regions and provinces referred to as Zone 2 (regions I, III, IV-A and NCR). Earlier certification cleared other parts of the country referred to as Zone 1, 3, Visayas and Mindanao Zones. FMD Free status paves the way to export opportunities for the Philippine livestock industry.

Among the concerns discussed in the stakeholders meeting are as follows: 1) livestock industry and inter-government agency collaborators to form advisory body with the primary objective of promoting local pork, beef, goat and other livestock products within the country and to the rest of the world; 2) the possibility of seeking the cooperation of the advertising experts 3) the status and capability of slaughterhouses in the country for possible export opportunities.

In an earlier media release, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that negotiations are ongoing to export pork products to Singapore and Malaysia. Swine farms, abbatoirs and meat processing establishments initially from Mindanao are being accredited by the Department of Agriculture through its concerned agencies, the National Meat Inspection Service(NMIS) and the bureau. The country has been exporting poultry products mostly to Japan given its bird flu (avian influenza) free status. Data obtained from the National Veterinary Quarantine Services (NVQS) showed the Philippines has been exporting broiler day old chicks (DOC)/ parent stocks(PS) to Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Brunei and Cambodia. Moreover, the country has been exporting processed meat products to Saudi Arabia, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Cambodia and Australia.

Asec Catbagan said that the country�s FMD free status works well for the domestic livestock industry because livestock and swine raisers, along with meat processors can now freely transport and trade livestock and pork products within the country. He said the free movement and transport will enhance productivity, particularly in improving, upgrading, and increasing current livestock herd and swine population.

Relative to this, Assistant Director and FMD Task Force Chairman Victor C. Atienza instructed the regional task force coordinators and animal quarantine staff to be vigilant in maintaining and monitoring the epidemiological situation that the country currently enjoys. To enhance public awareness, a celebration for an FMD Free Philippines is scheduled on July 26, 2011 the highlight of which will be scientific paper presentations featuring international speakers from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and OIE.(Source)

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