LOCAL meat processors and importers are supporting the expansion of accredited Brazilian foreign meat establishments (FMEs) to open up more possible sources of meat products for the country.
The Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) welcomed Brazilian meat exporters’ plan to get more FMEs in the South American country to be accredited by the Philippines for export of meat products.
The group pointed out that having more accredited Brazilian FMEs would help the Philippines in securing more meat supplies, particularly raw materials for processing, and keep prices of processed meat products stable.
“This means expanding our sources of raw materials for our manufacturing use, so that we are better insulated from closure of other sources in the event of disease outbreaks,” Pampi said in a statement sent to the BusinessMirror.
“This, in turn, will allow us to provide affordable meat products in support of President [Ferdinand R.] Marcos’ top priority of food security and affordability for the people,” the group added.
Pampi also noted that the accreditation of more FMEs would mitigate the impact of closure of certain suppliers abroad in times of outbreaks and crises.
The organization cited the case of the closure of most of the country’s European poultry suppliers due to the temporary import bans imposed by the government because of bird flu outbreaks.
“We speak from experience, as several European countries remain closed because of HPAI outbreaks, which prompted our Department of Agriculture to suspend imports from said countries,” it said.
“It would be better if Brazil applies for system accreditation instead of just getting additional FMEs accredited.That way, importers and meat processors would have more choices,” the group added.
The Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) said the expansion of the country’s FMEs should not be only for Brazil but for other origins.
“We have been pressing for the accreditation of more FME’s in order increase possible meat sources from different origins, especially because of the fact that slaughter kills have been going down for both pork and beef,” Mita Spokesman Paolo Pacis told the BusinessMirror.
“More accredited FMEs necessarily means that we have more chances to book our meat requirements and possibly at better prices,” Pacis added.
The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (Associação Brasileira de Proteína Animal) or ABPA earlier revealed that there is now an ongoing negotiation between Brasilia and Manila regarding the accreditation of more FMEs in Brazil. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/08/11/brazil-urges-phl-to-expand-fme-list-to-increase-volume-of-meat-exports)
ABPA Markets Director Luis Rua said they asked their government to negotiate with the Philippines to expand the list of accredited Brazilian FMEs to export meat products or seek a system-wide accreditation of Brazil’s food safety system.
“We are confident [that it will succeed]. We have proven to the Philippines that we can be a partner in exporting products that can add value there,” Rua said.
The Philippines extends two types of accreditation to foreign meat exporters: individual accreditation of FMEs and a system-wide accreditation of a country.
A system accreditation means that the Philippines recognizes the exporting country’s food safety system as at par with its very own domestic system.
Under such accreditation, any exporter or FME recognized and accredited by the exporting country could export meat products to the Philippines.
An individual accreditation or an FME-based accreditation allows only specific companies to export meat products to the Philippines.
At present, Brazil does not have a system-wide accreditation; instead individual Brazilian FMEs are accredited by the Philippines. To date, there are about 54 Brazilian FMEs allowed to export meat products to the Philippines.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes