The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Department of Agriculture (DA) released guidelines for the implementation of the 25,000 metric tons (MT) of imported frozen fish and aquatic products.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed the Certificate of Necessity to Import (CNI) to curb inflation, ensure food security, and diversify food choices, Business Mirror reported.
Under the Memorandum Order (MO) 51, the maximum importable volume (MIV) of 24,000 MT would be allocated for salmon (whole), species of squid that will not compete with the local production, tuna (byproducts only), black cod (whole), gindara (whole), sardines, red snapper, grouper, and halibut (whole).
These species are used by high end restaurants, hotels and resorts and the most affluent members of society.
The agency said the remaining 1,000 MT allocated to the Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) Program would be limited to small pelagic fish species. This move aims to ensure the steady supply of affordable fish and aquatic products. Always the smaller volume is intended for the poor and the middle class.
Under an earlier circular, the DA said the KNP Program primarily supports Filipino farmers and producers. However, it allows flexibility such as the sale of imported products to address potential product supply gaps, but only under certain conditions.
This would occur when locally- produced fish are “evidently unavailable” due to factors such as seasonal limitations or insufficient supply to meet demand and when prior approval is secured from the National Program Management Team (NPMT) to ensure transparency and compliance with the “Filipino First Policy.”
Meanwhile, the order said individuals, corporations, partnerships, registered fisheries associations or cooperatives with active accreditation as importers of food fish under FAO 195, or registered under FAO 259, may import under the CNI.
“For this purpose, a written intent shall be submitted to the BFAR, addressed to the Director, through the Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Division (FIQD), within seven working days from the issuance of this order,” it read.
The order also noted that importers who failed to comply with the following would be disqualified from applying SPSICs under the CNI.
This includes those with a pending case regarding any food safety or importation rules and regulations or those who failed to secure a Bureau of Customs (BOC) accreditation and/or clearance at the start of the importation period.
The disqualification would also cover those who could not submit updated requirements for accreditation before the issuance of the CNI and those who failed to submit complete and updated requirements within seven working days from the date of the CNI’s issuance.