The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
THE GOVERNMENT’S proposed five-minute X-ray inspection of imported agricultural containers in the first border facilities does not sit well with local pork producers as this might cause the entry of transboundary diseases. The Xray inspections are supposed to begin in 2027.
Vice chairman Alfred Ng of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NatFed) said the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) recently held a presentation regarding the Cold Examination Facility for Agriculture (CEFA).
Ng said the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) policy-making arm pointed out that roughly 60 minutes will be allocated to inspect and release the container, including five minutes for the X-ray.
While this could help curb technical smuggling of pork and other farm products, he warned that it might leave transboundary disease unnoticed.
“What we are concerned about, however, is the biosafe facility emphasized more on the speedy release of the goods rather than thorough inspection of the goods,” Ng said, noting that the proposed move would prevent congestion.
“It’s too fast. I think they have to revise the whole concept since five minutes isn’t enough,” he said.
Based on the presentation, Ng noted that the facilities will be constructed at ports, particularly the Manila International Container Port (MICP), the Port of Subic, and the Port of Davao.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. denied the proposed five-minute inspection, maintaining that preventing the entry of transboundary diseases remains the primary purpose of Cefas, which will be built in ports.
“There’s no idea of five minutes for X-ray as of this time,” Tiu Laurel told Business Mirror.
CEFAS is targeted for operation by March 2027, but Laurel said the DA will release tthe guidelines covering its operations before the end of this year.
Laurel earlier said the government has allocated P1.2 billion to bankroll the three CEFAs, estimated to cost around P313 million each.
He stressed that the CEFA should be established inside the ports so that potentially smuggled farm items would be seized before leaving the facility.
The planned CEFA in Angat, Bulacan did not materialize because of bidding and logistics issues, which Laurel said is better suited for rendering and destruction of goods.
Laurel also said the border inspection facilities at these ports would mainly check potentially smuggled goods based on their risk.
“It should only be risk-based…if we’ve already flagged the country or the shipment is questionable, then only then should the shipment be checked. We cannot check all shipments as costs will increase,” he previously explained.