THE Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (PhilMaize) has urged the government to conduct laboratory tests on imported feed products to ensure these goods were not contaminated with animal virus, and rule out the possibility that they caused the unusual deaths of hogs recently.
PhilMaize President Roger V. Navarro said they have been appealing to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to monitor and test imported animal feed raw materials to ensure that they are not infected with animal diseases.
Navarro said they have received reports that some importers are bringing in imported corn from Myanmar and Cambodia. The latter was among those where African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected earlier, but Myanmar’s reported cases only surfaced recently.
Based on reports they received, Navarro said that the corn from Myanmar is actually from Vietnam, with Myanmar only serving as a transhipment for exports.
Vietnam is among the hardest hit by ASF, with total deaths—including those culled—of over 4 million hogs today.
“The government should check these reports. Besides, it would be easy to determine if indeed the corn from Myanmar are from Vietnam,” he told the BusinessMirror.
“If the corn from Myanmar is discovered to be a genetically modified variety or contains GM traits, then they are from Vietnam since Myanmar is not growing GM corn,” he added.
Navarro said the government should also check other animal feed raw materials aside from corn for possible contamination or infection of animal virus.
The government, Navarro added, could also trace where the imported animal feed products went and try to figure out its connection with the reported unusual hog deaths in many backyard farms.
“Objectively, the government must trace which areas were supplied with those imported feed products. We just want to ensure that these products did not cause the unusual hog deaths,” he said.
Scientific journal articles have revealed that animal feeds could be a vector for transmission of swine diseases, such as ASF once they are infected with its virus.
DA guidelines
In June, the Department of Agriculture (DA) issued guidelines to ensure that imported plant-based feed products do not carry the ASF virus which could cripple the P260-billion local hog industry.
Former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol issued Memorandum Circular 8 dated June 3, outlining the quarantine measures for plant-based feed products from countries struck by ASF.
“There are scientific findings that ASF can be transmitted through plant-based feed products,” Piñol said in the order.
“A series of consultations with the stakeholders and private sector were conducted to discuss the safeguard/biosecurity measures for plant-based feed products, categorized as medium risk, imported from ASF-infected countries,” the circular read.
Under the circular, importers will be required to include an ASF declaration form from an independent third-party surveyor stating the last date of ASF outbreak from the country in their shipping documents.
If the last outbreak date from the country of origin is more than two months, the product would be automatically cleared upon arrival, especially those sourced from non-Asian countries, according to the circular.
However, if the country of origin had an ASF outbreak in the past two months, then the shipments would be put on quarantine for about 20 days, starting from the day the feed products were brought to the carrier vessel.
After the prescribed quarantine period, the shipments will be cleared for use.
“When originating from non-Asian countries where duration of transport takes at least 20 days, the feed product may be utilized following clearance by quarantine officer from the port of entry upon arrival at the consignee’s warehouse,” the circular read.
“When originating from Asia, where the duration of transport is less than 20 days, a 10-day holding/quarantine period shall be applied at the consignee’s warehouse following its arrival which shall be certified the deputized feed by control officer,” it added.