Two groups of meat importers met with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Livestock, and the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) on June 1, 2020 via separate video conferences to discuss issues confronting the broiler industry amid COVID-19.
PCAF convened Meat Importers and Traders Association (MITA) in the morning and the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) in the afternoon to present and ask recommendations on the following:
* Broiler supply and demand situation and forecast for 2020 (Presented by the Office of the Asst Sec for Livestock)
* Issuances of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (Presented by DA-BAI)
* Poultry meat importation arrivals (DA-BAI)
* Inventory of local and frozen chicken in NMIS accredited cold storages (Presented by DA-NMIS)
PCAF facilitated the meeting to consult MITA and PAMPI relative to the request of the United Broiler Raisers’ Association (UBRA) on the temporary suspension of importation of poultry. Recently, UBRA forwarded a letter requesting the Agriculture Secretary William Dar to immediately suspend the importation of poultry meat and products.
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